No Me Ames
by Zenkx
Summary: [Set directly after the events of ME3] James Vega meets his match in the Normandy's new doctor, Regine Akira, but why does it it seem like she hates his guts? JamesxOC [Warnings: Rated M due to violence, bad language and lemon contents] *I still suck at summaries*
1. Introduction

**Author's Introduction**

Before anything else, I would sincerely like to apologize to all Spanish readers who would read this. Believe me when I say I love the Spanish language and I really want to learn it, but the only tool I had to translate is Google. So yeah, some of the words/phrases might not be translated very well.

As Thane once said, I ask forgiveness.

But… James Vega fanfic! Whoohoo! Yep, kind of into flirty, square –jawed, broad shouldered men. I know a lot of players don't really like James. But… I DO! XD

Not really a songfic, but still, "No Me Ames" by Marc Anthony and Jennifer Lopez is an inspiration.

Just realized I did fanfics about the three men (Thane, Garrus and James) in Mass Effect… should I make one about Joker….?

Maybe… not. ~_~

(And yes, Joker is fine with me, unfortunately, I'm not really a Kaidan fan. Sorry Shenko fans)

And… second lemon! Something is wrong is my brain that I am starting to write lemons… they're honestly not really my thing.

Anyway, have fun reading! Comments and corrections are VERY, VERY welcome (particularly on the Spanish translations).

BTW, Authoress' Notes and translations are in **bold text.**

Mass Effect and its characters is the product of BioWare.


	2. Chapter 1

"Argh…_ Madre de Dios…_ ARRGGGHHH!"

James Vega limped into the Normandy, supported by an asari named Liara T'Soni. The Alliance Marine couldn't help but feel like it was déjà vu. A few months ago, in his grief, another asari named Treeya had helped him up as he stood by a Memorial Wall on Fehl Prime… although he wasn't injured as much as that time.

"Hang on, James. We're almost there." Liara panted, as they made their way to the Med Bay of the Normandy SR-2. Liara was also injured by the blast of the Hammerhead that went airborne by a blast of Harbinger. It had burned her blue skin, while James broke his leg, and was bleeding after shrapnel from the blast went through his abdomen.

"_I need to know somebody is getting out of this alive._" Commander Shepard told him… even though he still wanted to fight. That damn _pendejo_ ran ahead, into the light of the Crucible, and had the two of them evacuate.

_Damn you, Shepard._ He had thought as he watched the man he had idolized all his military life throw his life away for his. _Damn you… you brave, idiotic loco._

Liara opened the door to the Med Bay, and he was shocked to find that some of the other crew were heavily injured. He saw Garrus in one of the beds, his shoulder bleeding blue blood. On another bed was Kaidan Alenko, his chest and torso wrapped in bandages. Javik the Prothean was also there, and he had his arm in a sling. Tali was on one of the beds, but it was covered in clear plastic, which was probably their way to make a clean room for the quarian. Dr. Chakwas stood by Steve Cortez, his friend looking like hell. There was blood coming out of his head, and his chest.

"Esteban!" He cried out, but grunted as Liara put him on one of the beds. "What the hell happened to Esteban?!"

Dr. Chakwas went to James' side, and pushed him down, "You can worry about Mr. Cortez later, Lieutenant. For now, let's look at your injuries." She scanned him with her OmniTool as James laid down, "Perforation in the abdomen, and a broken leg. If the hole in your gut is not as serious as I hope it would be, you'd be fine…"

"DOCTOR! CORTEZ IS CODING!"

James looked over to his friend to see his body seizing, and panic seized him. Chakwas had moved away and he struggled to get up, but a cool hand had laid on his chest.

"Akira, take care of James! I'll handle Cortez!" Dr. Chakwas said and the hand pushed him back on the bed.

"Do not pressure yourself, Lieutenant." A cool voice said, "Just lie down. You can worry about Cortez later."

James scoffed, "And what if there is no later for Cortez, _poon-…_"

He looked up to see another medic like Chakwas… only lots… and lots of years younger. He guessed she was around his age. She wore a Medic uniform, like Chakwas, which hugged her rather… well-endowed frame, and her touch was cool on his neck. He looked up at her, seeing a heart-shaped face, ice cold blue eyes, a pretty nose and full red lips. Her blonde hair was piled up at the top of her head with a pin, and she had dark black glasses on the bridge of her nose. She would've been beautiful, if it weren't for the fact that she was scowling at him. She looked familiar to him, but he can't seem to remember…

"Try to continue what you were trying to call me, Lieutenant… and I'd be more than happy to let you join Mr. Cortez." The woman… Dr. Chakwas called her Akira… said, her bright blue eyes like ice.

He swallowed, "Sorry, Doc."

The doctor's scowl remained, but she had started to undo the seals on James' armor. He smirked, "Hey easy, Doc! I don't usually do this when I first meet a woman."

But the doctor scowled again, and she pulled his armor unceremoniously of his torso, making him grunt in pain. "Ow! I said easy!"

But Dr. Akira merely bent over the hole by James's stomach, "Perforation's pretty deep. Looks like there's still a fragment in there." She looked him, "Please remove your lower armor, Mr. Vega."

The woman's blue eyes remained on him, and he tried again, "Are you flirting with me, _se__ñ__orita?_"

But the doctor merely looked at him, her eyebrows raised. And she rolled her eyes and turned back. James was about to apologize, but she quickly turned around… and stabbed him the neck with a syringe.

"_Mierda!"_ He exclaimed from the pain of the needle, but soon he felt his muscles weaken, and he flopped on the bed, still conscious, but unable to move.

"I do not have the patience for your foolishness, Mr. Vega." Dr. Akira said, as she lowered the syringe, and unlocked the clasps of his armor.

"The fuck did you use on me?" James said. At least he still had control of his head. He looked at her, his brown eyes angry.

"High quality muscle relaxant. Of course I had to use more, considering your size." She had removed his armor, and he was now in his under suit. He had hoped she'd cover him up, but she merely bent down and looked at his wound again. She nodded to herself and grabbed a pair of forceps from a tray on her side.

"Wait! Wait! Doc!" He almost shouted, "You're not going to get rid of the thing when I'm still awake right?"

"I need you awake for this, Mr. Vega." The woman said again, and he looked at her in disbelief.

"No fucking way… you can't just… AARGGGHHHH!" James shouted as pain came from his stomach. Dr. Akira was pulling what looked like a metal piece from the Hammerhead, several inches long. It was bent out of shape, and she was starting to remove it.

"Arrgghhh… _Madre de Dios… Mierda…_ stop pulling for the love of… AARRRRGGGGHHHH! _CHINGA TU MADRE!"_

Akira dropped the metal on a tray near her, and looked over the wound as he seethed, "Wound is clean." She flooded the wound with Medigel, and he sighed a little in relief as the medicine stopped the pain. "And I suggest you do not use such language in front of me."

James looked up at the doctor, his brows furrowed, "Well maybe you should try and knock me out first before you start pulling shit from my body, Doc."

"Well maybe you should stop being such a pussy, Mr. Vega." Akira said in a deadpan voice, "Either that or just learn to follow your doctor's orders."

The Medigel had started sealing the wound, but the muscles underneath still felt pretty sore. Akira moved down to his leg and scanned it again. He seethed again, "What, I can't flirt with people from time to time?"

"You can." Akira said, as she lowered her OmniTool, and he smirked as she jumped on to his bed. She stood before him, her feet on each side of his legs, and she bent over and grasped his leg. Her brows were furrowed into a frown again as she looked at him. "Just not with me."

"_HIJO DE PUTA!_" James shouted in pain as Akira realigned his leg, and popped it back properly. He panted in pain as she left the bed again to check the break. "There. Perfectly straight." She said, and proceeded to putting a splint on his leg.

Dr. Chakwas came to her now, standing right behind her, "How is Mr. Vega, Akira?"

"Arrogant and hard-headed as usual, Doctor." The woman said, and James opened his mouth to protest, but she spoke again, "Perforation closed. The broken leg is also set. Given his injuries a month of rest and no strenuous movement ought to heal him faster."

"WAIT WHAT?!" James exclaimed, "A month?! No fucking way am I going to lie down for a month."

Dr. Chakwas looked sternly at him, and James grew quiet. The elder woman's face looked stern, and it reminded him of his _abuela_. "Now, Lieutenant Vega. Dr. Akira here used be one of my assistants in the Citadel. You do not want to undo her work now, do you?"

James scoffed, "This woman just paralyzed me by the neck up, Doc. You think I would stay here for a month with her? I don't think so."

At this Dr. Chakwas grinned, "I thought of that. Which is exactly why I'll be assigning her as your physician until you recover, Mr. Vega. I'll be busy with both Cortez and Alenko anyway. She'll be in charge of you." At this, Dr. Chakwas laughed, "And believe me, I do not want to get her upset. That relaxant injection is just one of her many tricks. Just follow what she says, and you'll be alright."

James growled at the woman, who looked at him coldly, as she fiddled with her Datapad. "I won't last a day with this… this… _reina de hielo_!"

At this, Akira's eyebrow rose. "Queen of ice? You forget, Mr. Vega… Ice can give you frost bite." She hung the Datapad on the end of his bed, "Mess with me too much and I'll see that you'll get burned."

James scowled at her again as she walked away, putting on a clean suit and mask before entering Tali's area, and Dr. Chakwas took her place in checking his vitals, "Now why did you have to pair me up with that kind of woman, Doc?"

"Because I knew she'd be immune to your flirtatious ways, Mr. Vega." Dr. Chakwas said as she looked over Akira's work. "Plus she's a damn good doctor. She cleaned up your wound pretty well, and your break is set far better than I could've done."

"Yeah, but she didn't have to lay me down here like a dead fish." James said seething.

Dr. Chakwas chuckled again, "You'll be able to move soon enough. For the meantime, I suggest you sleep while you wait for the relaxant's effects to fade. And do not move out of this bed when it does… Akira might use double the dose she gave you."

James seethed again as Dr. Chakwas moved away again to check on Cortez. He tried to move his arm, but it wouldn't budge. He huffed in annoyance instead and closed his eyes, taking in a deep breath… only to smell what seems be gardenias in the air.

**Madre de Dios – Mother of God**

**Poonta – bitch**

**Mierda – shit**

**Chinga tu madre – fuck your mother**

**Hijo de puta – son of a bitch**

**Reina de hielo – Queen of ice (or ice queen)**


	3. Chapter 2

The effects of the relaxant faded after a few hours, and by then, James was well rested and itching to get out of the bed. He later found out at Shepard was able to activate the Crucible, and that they had to make an emergency landing on Earth to make repairs for the Normandy. Somehow, activating the Crucible had given all species of the galaxy green eyes and a green filament barrier in their skin. EDI had said that it meant that all species had evolved to become something better, and partly synthetic. Shepard has united all species into one DNA… at the cost of his life.

The Alliance had sent a search team to look for Shepard's body, but they couldn't find it. They determined that the Commander was obliterated along with the blast.

Tali, being the one who loved Shepard the most, was in tears because of it. He sat up, watching the quarian cry. Because she was in a clean area of the Med Bay, Dr. Chakwas had allowed her to remove her mask. James was surprised to see that Tali… looked pretty human. She had a very beautiful face, and her eyes were all blue, but had a green glow into it. Intricate tattoos of curving lines blossomed from her hair line to the areas around her eyes. Her hair was actually black and wavy under her helmet and hood… but right now, they curled behind her back and covered her face as she cried, her head on her knees.

Akira was in a clean suit and mask in front of the quarian, her back towards James, and he was surprised when the ice-doctor gave the quarian some tissues. Tali looked up at her, and Akira seemed to talk, but James couldn't hear what they were talking about. Suddenly, Tali jumped forward and hugged the doctor, and Akira reluctantly hugged the quarian back as she cried whole-heartedly on her shoulder. James watched them as Akira ran a hand down Tali's back.

"Hey, Vega. Good to see you're moving again."

James looked up to see the turian, Garrus Vakarian, standing before him, looking a little better. The bleeding wound he had seen on his shoulder was healed. His blue eyes had turned green, like everyone had, and his carapace had a green tint to it.

"Hey, Scars." James said a little sadly, before turning to look back at Tali and Akira. "Poor thing… I had hoped that Shepard was alive too."

The turian sighed, "We all knew that this was a war, so it's bound to have casualties." Garrus said as he sat down on a chair beside Vega, "Of course… after losing Shepard once… it… only makes it harder."

"Yeah. The four of you stuck it out the longest." James said, "You, Joker, Tali and Shepard. You four were together from the start."

"And to the very end." Garrus said, "This is going to be very hard for Tali. But we know that Shepard laid down his life for us. He knew that we all had something to live for."

"I would've thought that Shepard would want to live … to be with Tali, live happily ever after, you know." James said again, scratching his chin. Akira convinced the quarian to lay back down, and Tali settled into her bed, still sobbing a little. The doctor then left the clean room and removed her suit and mask, her face becoming stoic and cold again as she lifted Tali's medical datapad.

Garrus shrugged, his armor shifting, "I would've thought of that too. But it's not going to happen. The Reapers… are allies now. Which is strange, I would've thought that Shepard would destroy them…"

"Destruction of the Reapers would result in the destruction of synthetic life as well, General Vakarian." EDI's robotic voice said, and Akira looked over to them. "If Shepard decided to do so, I would have died, and so have the geth."

Akira put down the Tali's datapad and headed to them. "General Vakarian, I see you are doing better."

"Dr. Akira." Garrus said, standing up, "Yes. I feel much better. Thank you for your assistance."

Akira nodded to him and turned her attention back to James as she scanned him with her OmniTool. "I see the relaxant has lost its effect. How are you feeling, Lt. Vega?"

"Like I got blasted on the stomach and my leg was broken. How do you think I feel?" James seethingly said to Akira, and Garrus nudged his arm.

"Hey, don't be so mean to the doctor." Garrus said.

"Do not worry, General. I am quite used to his abuse." Akira said, "Vital signs are normal. The wound on your abdomen has healed, and your fracture is slowly mending."

"Does that mean I can get out of this bed?" James said.

"No. It does not." Akira said, and James eyebrows furrowed. "Your leg was broken, Lt. Vega. It'll take time to heal."

"Then get me some fucking crutches or something!" James cried out vehemently, and Garrus' mandibles pressed to his mouth in a sure sign of annoyance, "I can't stay in this bed! You said my wound is already healed!"

"And unless you want your leg bones to return to being fragments, I suggest that you stay in bed." Akira said coldly, her green eyes staring him down. "I am your physician, Lieutenant. I suggest that you start listening to me, for your own sake."

James scoffed, "I wouldn't listen to you, _reina de hielo,_ if you were the last woman in the galaxy."

"James!" Garrus exclaimed, but Akira waved him down.

She bent over to James, her face inches from his, scowling at him. James took in a deep breath, only to realize that the scent of gardenias he had smelled before came from her. She laid her hand down on his shoulder, and he blinked at her cold touch. He looked up at her, and he tried to inch closer. Akira's mouth opened, and he smelled mint on her breath. He brought his eyes to hers, and her ice cold demeanor returned.

"Have it your way, _Lieutenant._"

Akira pinched something on James' neck, and the soldier flopped down on the bed, asleep. Garrus' blinked at the reaction of the soldier, and he poked at him to see if he was faking. James remained asleep and Garrus let out a huff of laughter.

"That was impressive, Dr. Akira." Garrus said as he looked over to her. "You might want to teach me that next time. I'd like to do it to him when we're sparring."

"Thank you, General." Akira said as she fiddled with her OmniTool, "As much as I'd like to teach it, it requires five digits to do so, as well as years of practice. Perhaps, I could teach some other moves you can use against him."

Garrus laughed, "That would be most entertaining, Dr. Akira. I'd like that."


	4. Chapter 3

"Hey. Vega. Wake up."

James slowly opened his eyes and blinked, the light of the room hurting his eyes a little. He looked a little to his left to see Kaidan Alenko, looking a little worse for wear, but otherwise fine. He was sitting down on the chair Garrus had occupied earlier, and James lifted himself up to look at the Major.

"Hey, Major. Jeeze… how long was I asleep?" He said as he rubbed his eyes.

"Ten hours… give or take a few minutes." Kaidan said to him, and he blinked in shock. Kaidan pointed at the table near him to see a tray laden with food, "I brought you some food. Garrus said you'd been sleeping for fifteen hours now and you're bound to get hungry."

"_Madre de Dio_… fifteen hours." James said as he positioned the tray on his lap, "It's that doctor's fault. Akira. She keeps knocking me out to sleep."

Kaidan chuckled, "Well, I'd understand if she does that. You can be a little hard-headed, Vega."

James took the fork, "Of course. You've never seen me on the MedBay for more than a few hours. Besides, the MediGel pretty much patched me up. Why the hell do I have to stay in bed for so long?" He moved his leg tentatively, "I can walk with this thing now, you know."

"I checked out your Medical Record, James." Kaidan said seriously, "Your leg had a full break. It's actually amazing that Dr. Akira set it without splintering any other bone. You should be thankful."

"Yeah, yeah." He said as he started eating, "I'll thank her once I start walking."

Kaidan chuckled, "Actually, she already allowed you to walk, just not for long periods." He gave James a data pad, "Also she said you're not supposed to do anything strenuous for the next few weeks. Like doing weights."

James looked down at the datapad, and sure enough, there was Akira's signature that allowed him to walk. He huffed, "It doesn't say here that I can't do pull ups."

"Yes it does, it's included in not doing anything strenuous." Dr. Akira said, coming in through the MedBay with her datapad again, looking coldly at him again. "And considering you have to jump down and up to get to your bar, I would be against it."

"Doc, seriously, you've only treated me today." James said, scowling, "How the hell would you know what I can or can't do."

"I have a copy of your extensive medical history, Lieutenant." Akira said again, as she lifted the datapad from the foot of his bed. "Believe me, you have no secrets to hide from me when it comes to your medical history."

"Hey, I have some secrets." James said, smirking a little, hoping his flirting would at least get the doctor to blush.

But Akira merely rolled her eyes as she fiddled with the datapad, "No. You don't. And believe me, whatever 'secrets' you have under that sheet… it's not that impressive."

James' mouth fell open in shock, and Kaidan burst out laughing. Dr. Akira still looked at him coldly, before turning her attention back to the datapad. "You're allowed to walk, Lieutenant. But try not to undo my work. I'm running out of muscle relaxant, and would have to use the ones reserved for krogans if you do not heed me."

Kaidan laughed again as James grit his teeth. Akira then headed over to a console to type a few things, and Kaidan nudged him. "Hey, she just said your 'secret' is 'not impressive'."

"Yeah, what the hell does she know." James said as he ate again, "It's not like she'd seen it."

Kaidan coughed, "I think Chakwas might've told her. She helped you relieve your bladder while you were asleep."

James smacked his forehead, "_Mierda…_ now I'm embarrassed." Kaidan laughed again, and James went back to his meal, just as Tali came into the Med Bay. She was carrying what looked like a bunch of flowers of different kinds, and she was wearing her suit and helmet again. She waved a little at Kaidan and James, before heading straight to Dr. Akira.

"Dr. Akira, I'd like your advice on something." Tali said, and Akira came forward to her, "I… I'd like to put flowers on the Memorial Wall for… Shepard. But I do not know what flowers I should buy. I'm having someone here on Earth bring them here. Can you help me?"

"Of course, Tali." Akira said to the quarian, and James blinked in surprise as the doctor's face became considerably warmer. "Let's see… what do you have here?"

Tali laid down the flowers on one of the beds, and Akira started shifting through them as she looked them over. James continued to eat as he watched her, and Kaidan stood up and went beside to Tali. Akira started to lift one of the flowers as she explained.

"Most flowers have meanings." Akira said, "It actually depends on the flowers' colors. What message would you like to send, Tali?"

The quarian looked down sadly, "One that will say… I'll love him forever, until the day I die."

Akira looked thoughtfully, shifting through the flowers, before picking up three of them. "Here, pick these three." She held up a pink and a striped carnation, and a red tulip.

"Which are these?" Tali said as she held up the flowers.

"These two are carnations, and this one is a tulip." Akira said, "A pink carnation means that the person you're giving it to will always be on your mind, a striped carnation means that you're sorry you can't be with them." She pointed at the red flower, "A red tulip means your love is undying."

Tali looked thoughtfully at the three flowers, "That… is exactly what I was looking for."

Kaidan looked over the flowers, "Which one is your favorite, Doctor?"

At this, Akira's face turned pink, and James' own face heated. The doctor's blush made her look beautiful. Akira looked down at the flowers on the bed and shifted through them, and she sighed. "It's not here."

Kaidan blinked, "What is it then?"

_Gardenias_, James thought and he was pleasantly surprised when Akira said it. "Gardenias, actually. With lilies as a close second." She picked up an orange lily among the bunch and held it up for Tali to see. "The orange lily is a bit of a paradox. It can mean desire or passion, but it could also mean hatred."

"And this 'gardenia' you speak of, what does it mean?" Tali said, looking at the lily.

"It means a secret love." Akira said and she looked down, picking up a white rose among the flowers. "It should look like this, but the scent is different. This one is a white rose."

"Like your scent, right, doctor?" Kaidan said, and Akira blushed again. James was beginning to like seeing her blush. "Your perfume… it's gardenia right?"

She nodded, and Tali lifted up the doctor's wrist to her filter, taking a tentative whiff of the doctor's perfume and then taking the white rose from her and smelling it, "Oh… the gardenia smells lovely."

"Thank you." Akira said, and Tali gave the white rose to her. The doctor blinked, "It's not a gardenia, but I hope you'll accept this one as thanks, Doctor."

Suddenly, the doctor did something he never thought she'd do. She _smiled_. His breath got caught in his lungs as Akira's red lips curved into a loving smile, and her eyes softened. She smelled the flower gently, her blue-green eyes glazing a little in wonder. Her smile made her even more beautiful to James' eyes. He swallowed as Akira's loving eyes lifted back to the quarian.

"Thank you, Tali." Akira said gently, and the quarian hugged her a little before leaving the MedBay, taking the other flowers with her. She smiled again as she put the white rose on her desk, before looking up at James. Her smile faded when she saw the soldier looking at her, and her face hardened again, and her scowl returned. She turned to her heel and left the MedBay with a data pad, and Kaidan headed back to James' side.

"I swear, that woman hates me." James said when the Major sat down again, "Did you see her face when she looked at me? It's like I was the lowest form of scum."

Kaidan chuckled, "Probably not. Maybe she just doesn't like meatheads like you."

"Har, har. Very funny, Major." James said, but he sighed a little, "But when she smiled… _Madre de Dios_… she was the most beautiful thing I've ever seen in ages."

"Yeah, she is pretty." Kaidan said, "But… I'll tell you right now, Vega, she is way out of your league."

At this, James smirked, "I like it that way. It poses a challenge." He looked over to Kaidan, "Think you can use your Spectre status to get me some info on her, Major?"

Kaidan looked a little hurt, "What's this, Lieutenant? Using my position as a Spectre to spy on people? I thought you liked me because I could beat you at Poker."

James scoffed as he finished his meal, "Yeah that's one thing I liked about you. Plus you could get me intel. It's either that or I could ask Liara."

Kaidan laughed, "Seriously? You're going to ask the Shadow Broker to stalk a woman? She's going to think you're desperate, Vega."

"Well, with that kind of prize, I imagine others have been after her tail." James said as he smiled at Kaidan again, "Come on, Major. Just a little intel for me, man! I thought we were _amigos_."

Kaidan stood up, "At Poker maybe. But unfortunately, I can't catch you on this one." He patted Vega on his shoulder, "Seriously, man. Let it go, man."

Kaidan left the MedBay, and James huffed in annoyance. He laid back and closed his eyes, remembering how beautiful Akira was when she smiled, how her long finger stroked the rose, her green eyes tinged with blue softened at Tali's gesture.

_Let it go, he said._ James thought as he slowly drifted to sleep, _No fucking way._


	5. Chapter 4

James gingerly put some weight on his injured leg, before slowly pushing off his bed. He was back in his fatigues, and he was feeling a little better. He stood up slowly, testing if the leg could take his weight, and he was pleased to see that it could. He felt a little weak, though, but at least he was standing.

"Try and walk now, Lieutenant." Dr. Chakwas said as Akira pressed a few buttons on her datapad. Her usual stoic face was on him again, and James' brows furrowed. He tentatively took a step, and then another, and pretty soon he was walking around.

"See, Doc? Fit as a fiddle." James said as he stood before the two doctors. Akira's cold eyes looked up at him nonchalantly, "I don't need the whole 'stay out of strenuous movement' thing right? I am seriously looking forward to using my weights."

Dr. Chakwas looked at Akira and she spoke while returning her attention to James' medical chart. "You can do arm exercises, but I would still recommended that you do not do anything involving your leg. Should it break, I would not straighten it again."

James frowned again, and Akira finally lowered her datapad and looked at him sternly. "I only do my work once, Lieutenant. I am a doctor. I know what is best for my patients. If they… or you… do not believe me, then I will leave you to your own devices. But be warned that I will not fix you again. If you are so hard-headed that you do not believe me and break your leg again, then I hope that you can fix yourself, since apparently, you know how to set bones better than I do."

Dr. Chakwas chuckled at James' scowl, "Well, you heard it, Lieutenant. No injuring that leg again. No strenuous lower body exercises, and plenty of rest. I value Dr. Akira's medical knowledge, and I suggest that you listen to her. She is one of my best assistants in the Citadel."

Akira nodded once to Dr. Chakwas and left the MedBay, before heading out, probably towards the Mess Hall. Dr. Chakwas smiled as the young doctor left, and she started walking with James towards the Memorial Wall. "I know that she might seem a little mean, but I trust her immensely, James. Just follow what she told you, and you'll be fine."

James scoffed as he watched the other crew solemnly walk towards the Memorial Wall. "That _reina de hielo_ would be the death of me."

"She means well, despite appearances." Dr. Chakwas said as she stood behind the crew. "I mean it, James. Don't mess with her. If you end up breaking that leg again, I don't think I have the strength in this old age of mine to straighten it."

James chuckled, "Okay, Doc." He stood behind the crew and quieted, as Tali stood in front, holding a plaque. The crew was a picture of grief. He could hear Tali sobbing quietly under her helmet as she held Shepard's name. The flowers that Akira had advised her to get… the pink and striped carnations and the red tulips… were underneath the Memorial Wall. Finally, after a deep sigh, Tali came forward, and placed Commander Shepard's name on the wall, pressing it down tightly, above the plaque that held the name of Admiral David Anderson. She gazed at it, before stepping back to stand with the crew. She put her hand on her chin, before looking back to EDI, who was standing behind them.

James watched as EDI and the quarian hugged, and he looked at the Memorial Wall again. "_Padre nuestro, que estás en el cielo_." He started, and Traynor, Kaidan, Joker, Steve and Dr. Chakwas looked at him, "_Santificado sea tu nombre. Venga tu reino. Hágase tu voluntad en la tierra como en el cielo. Danos hoy nuestro pan de cada día. Perdona nuestras ofensas, como también nosotros perdonamos a los que nos ofenden. No nos dejes caer en tentación y líbranos del mal. Amén."_

"Amen." Steve followed and he made the Sign of the Cross.

"_En el nombre del Padre, y del Hijo, y del Espíritu Santo. Amén._" James said as he did the sign as well, and Tali came forward to him.

"James, was that… a prayer?" Tali said, and he nodded.

"In my native language, yeah." James said, and Tali went forward and hugged him. He blinked, but he hugged her in return.

"It sounded beautiful. Thank you." Tali said as she pulled back, sniffing a little. But then she giggled, "I think I'd better head to the MedBay now. I hope Dr. Akira has finished with making that clean section again. I got snot dripping down my nose."

The crew chuckled along as they departed, and a flash of blue reminded James of something. "Hey, Doc! Liara!"

The asari he called turned to look at him, and she smiled. "Lieutenant Vega. I am happy that you're walking again. Your injuries have healed, I presume?"

"Yeah… uh… a little." He said as he walked with her towards her section of the ship. "Leg's still a little busted, but I'm walking."

Liara smiled, "That is good to hear, James. But I am quite surprised that you called me. Is there something you'd like to ask?"

They were in Liara's part of the ship now, and James looked around before saying, "I was… kind of hoping you could get me some intel on Dr. Akira."

Liara looked confused, "Dr. Chakwas' assistant? Why didn't you ask Kaidan to look into it? Isn't she an Alliance medic?"

James shrugged, "Yeah, she is. I already asked him but he told me to let it go."

"You are… interested in this human?" Liara smirked as if reading his mind.

James laughed, "Yeah, I guess. A little." He shrugged again, "I think this chick has something against me, you know? She's always scowling at me, and she tortures me! I know she healed me pretty well, but damn, I felt like I was tortured by _el Diablo_ when she was done."

"_El…_ what?" Liara asked, as she fiddled with her console.

"_El Diablo…_ the devil. It's… an evil creature that tortures human souls." James explained, and Liara giggled, "Alright, James. I'll see what I can find. I think it's easy to know about her since its Alliance files, but I'll see what else I can tell you."

"_Gracias, _Doc." James said, patting the asari's shoulder, "Ping me on my tool when you're done, eh?"

Liara nodded and James headed out of her office and back down to the cargo deck. She opened up a file about the doctor, and she blinked, before shaking her head. "Oh, Goddess… I should have known…"

**The prayer James says is basically the Lord's Prayer in Spanish, and of course the sign of the Cross in Spanish as well**

**El Diablo – the devil**

**Gracias - Thanks**


	6. Chapter 5

James was sitting on his bench on the cargo hold, when Liara pinged him on his OmniTool. He opened up the message and was surprised that instead of intel, it was an actual message that appeared.

_From: Shadow Broker_

_To: Lt. James Vega_

_Intel found. But cannot be released. Do not pursue issue further._

"Cannot be released?" James muttered as he stood up and headed back up to Liara. "The hell?"

Liara was sitting on her terminal when he came in, and she let out a sigh when he came through. She stood up, "I'm sorry, James. I can't give you the Intel you're looking for. Kaidan was right, you should let it go."

James blinked, "Why? Is it top secret stuff? She on a recon mission or something?"

The asari waved her hands, "No! Nothing like that. She's just an Alliance doctor, James…"

James held out his hand and scowled at the doctor, "If that's the case then I'd like to read the intel, Doc."

Liara sighed again, "James, please. There's more to her than you think. Can't you just let this go?"

He laughed, "More to her than I think? Oh now you're making me even more curious." He shrugged, "I can't let this go, Doc. This woman tortured me. She wounded my pride even! I need to know more about her too."

But Liara merely looked a little guilty, and taking a datapad, she clamped it in her arms. "Just… don't tell her you found out about her from me, okay?"

James laughed again as he snatched the datapad from her and sat down on a chair near her. "Yeah yeah, okay doc. Let's see here…"

He started reading from the data pad, "Dr. Regine Akira nee Winters, Alliance Medic… trained as a Sentinel by the Alliance… L3 biotic… worked as a medic since she was 21. Parents both deceased, Casualties of First Contact War. Adopted by Shelly and Marc Winters. Joined the Alliance training at 16. Born August 7th, 2155. So she's thirty one. Married… three years ago?" James blinked, "Husband: Ryuuichi Akira… deceased. Citadel Engineer. Died at Sovereign's attack on the Citadel. Oh shit… I didn't know."

He scrolled lower on the datapad as Liara watched him, a pained look in her eyes, "Born in San Francisco, California. Lived on… Fehl Prime." At this James took in a pained breath, "Relocated with her sister… Christine Anders nee Winters and niece… April Anders… both deceased…"

James dropped the datapad as he bowed his head, and Liara went to him and laid a hand on his shoulder. "Oh God…" he muttered, "I killed her sister… her niece…"

"I'm sorry, Vega." Liara said, "Dr. Akira wasn't on Fehl Prime when the Collectors attacked. She was in the Citadel, working at Huerta Memorial. She only heard about Fehl Prime in the news, but it was too late." She swallowed, "She… lost everyone in her life. I would imagine that is why she's very distant."

James rubbed his hands on his temples, "That's why she's so cold to me. She must've found out… about what I did."

"I imagine so, yes. She is Alliance, after all." Liara said, "I'm sorry. I believe Kaidan must've known about this, that's why he didn't want you to know about it."

He rubbed his forehead again, before standing up, and leaving Liara's office. "James?! Where are you going?"

"I'm going to talk to Dr. Akira." James said as he left.


	7. Chapter 6

"Hey EDI. Where's Dr. Akira?" James said to the Normandy's AI as he stood in the MedBay, seeing Dr. Chakwas there instead, buried in her work.

"Dr. Akira is currently at the Cargo Bay, Lieutenant Vega." The AI said, "She had requested an open space to do her exercise. Major Alenko and Lieutenant Steve Cortez have left to give her privacy to conduct her calisthenics."

"I'm on my way." James said as he headed back down using the elevator.

"Shall I inform the doctor of your arrival, Lieutenant?" EDI said again, but he shook his head.

"No, EDI. But please lock the area once I've left the elevator. Make sure no one goes in. I need some serious talk time with Dr. Akira." James said, and the elevator stopped.

"Very well." EDI said as the elevator opened, and James mouth dropped as the doors opened.

Dr. Akira was standing in the Cargo Bay, wearing what looked like black, loose silk pants and shirt. Her blond hair was braided down her back, making it look like a rope down her waist. She was standing perfectly still on one foot, her other leg lifted almost straight up, her back straight and her arms spread gently to her side. Slowly, she lowered her leg and stepped her foot down, her hands becoming fists as she put them together again. She did the same move again, making a circle with her arms, and then balancing with one foot, but as she caught a glimpse of him on the elevator, she lowered her foot and glared at him, her body becoming rigid.

"What are you doing here?" She almost shouted, as she headed to one of the consoles, where she had kept her bag.

James shrugged as he walked forward, and the lock on the elevator behind him turned red, "This happens to be my spot, Doctor. See those weights over there? Those are mine."

The doctor turned her back against him as she wiped the sweat from her face, "I imagine so. Meatheads like you cannot survive without your weights."

James chuckled as he went nearer to the doctor, and he leaned on his hip on the console beside her. "Oh, you just wound me, Doctor." She rolled her eyes, still frowning, as she stuffed the towel into her bag and took a sip of water from a canteen. James noticed that she didn't seem like she was rushing to leave, so he continued to speak.

"So… that uh… exercise you were doing." He said, and Akira turned her cold stare at him, "What was that? Some sort of ancient Chinese exercise?"

Akira huffed in impatience, "That was called Tai Chi, Lieutenant. It's something grunts like you to do not learn. Ancient Chinese fighting styles are not something fitting for muscle bound men like you."

James laughed, "Yeah, pretty much. Guys like me… straight up boxing. Or wrestling. Chinese stuff like you do are too soft for me."

"Then you are misinformed, Lieutenant." Dr. Akira said, "I could kick your ass in a minute with my 'soft Chinese stuff'."

James smirked, "Are you challenging me, _reina?_"

The nickname earned him a glare, "As I remember correctly, I told you not to do any strenuous activities, Lieutenant."

But James merely laughed as he rolled his head on his shoulders and stood in the middle of the Cargo Bay. "Don't worry, I'll try not to hit you too hard, _Regine._"

The doctor blinked at the use of her real name, "How did you…"

He shrugged as he cracked his knuckles, "I asked around." He punched his fist into his palm as he readied his stance. "Come on, dance with me."

Akira seethed, but she stood in front of James, and straightening her spine and turning to her side. "I should warn you, Lieutenant." She said, her voice laced with venom, "When I do damage, I don't fix it."

James smirked, "Yeah, as if you could." And he charged.

He drew his fist back to hit Akira, but she merely put a palm up and knocked his punch away, before flicking her arm, the back of her hand hitting his cheek. James blinked, but he got down on his stance again. "You're quick for a doctor."

Akira walked a little to the side, and James realized she was making sure he was in front of her. "It comes with the profession, Lieutenant."

James grinned, and he charged again, drawing out his fist. He brought out his left fist, but she deflected it with her palm again. He tried to get her with a right hook, but she deflected it again, and as he body leaned forward, Akira twisted, and slammed her elbow at his temple. His world spun for a minute, and he tried to get his bearings as she stood behind him, waiting.

"Okay. That was pretty hard." James said, as his vision stopped spinning and he looked at her, "I'm starting to see why the Alliance hired you. Hit hard. Work hard. You ever play, Doctor?"

He then bent forward and unleashed several quick punches, but she merely flicked his fists away with her palms, before putting up both hands and roughly pushing at his chest, using his body's forward motion to make it hurt even more. He stumbled back, gasping as she straightened again, "Believe me, Lieutenant. This is like play time for me. All your mass is making you move slower. I can anticipate your moves, and calculate them several milliseconds faster."

"Huh… I guess." He dropped his stance and looked at her seriously, "You don't quit, even though it seems like your enemy is bigger than you. You wait for a chance to strike, hold out until you can find the right moment. I guess that's where Christine got her tactics."

Akira's eyes widened, "Christine… how did you…"

"She was holding it out, you know." James said, "When those mercenaries tried to take over Fehl Prime. She was shot in the shoulder, but she stuck out and waited for us. She knew we were coming, and she didn't give up."

Akira looked away from him, closing her eyes, "How did you get my file, Lieutenant?"

"I have my sources." James said, "I wanted to find out more about you. You're intriguing."

"And now that you know that you murdered my sister and niece?" She looked at him now, and he could feel her fury rising.

"I wanted to save them." James said, walking towards her, "I really did. I loved your sister and your niece. They were my family on Fehl Prime."

"Then why didn't you save them?" Akira seethed.

"The asari I saved, Treeya… she had intel on the Collectors. I had to save her." He said, and he stopped walking towards her when he saw her clenched fist shaking in anger.

"Bullshit." She said and her green eyes blazed with fury, and her body got enveloped in blue biotic energy, and James blinked, "You saved her because you loved her, your feelings got in the way of your judgment. _YOU MURDERED A THOUSAND COLONISTS JUST TO GET SOME 'AZURE'!"_

James' brows furrowed in anger, and he charged, his hands capturing her wrists. He turned her around so that she was encased in his arms, her back pressed to his chest and he lifted her off her feet. His face pressed against her hair, and he smelled gardenias again. He held her firm body against his, stopping her struggling, although he was having a hard time. Her body was causing a very… uncomfortable reaction to him.

"I did not do anything with Treeya!" He growled in her ear, "We thought it was better if we separated after that. I did not fraternize with her. I needed that intel to save other colonists, to make sure that the medicine we used to be immune from the Seeker Swarms can be used by the Alliance. But it was too late… Shepard had already stopped the Collectors." He squeezed a little tighter as she struggled, "I loved Christine and April. I loved the people of Fehl Prime. And I loved my crew who died when we fought the Collectors. Don't think you're the only one who deserves to mourn them."

Akira's struggling stopped, and her head fell limp on his arm. James blinked. _Did I just squeeze her to death?_

Suddenly, Akira's head reared back, getting him square in the face and breaking his nose. He let go of her to put his hands on his face, but as her feet touched the ground, she kicked him in the chest, making him lose his balance and fall flat on his back. He raised his head only to see that Akira now squatted on top of him, her face livid in anger, but there were tears falling down her eyes. Her hand, poised like a claw, tightened around his neck.

"I could rip out your throat out." Akira seethed, "You have no idea how much I want to just kill you right now. Christine and April were the only family I had left, and you killed them. And I will never forgive you."

She pushed him down roughly as she stood up, taking her bag with her, and heading to the elevator. She shouted something at EDI, and the red lock turned green.

"Hey, Doc!" James shouted as he stood up and faced her, "Aren't you going to patch me up?!"

Akira wiped the falling tears in her eyes and shook her head, her usual stoic demeanor returning. "Like I said, Lieutenant. When I do damage, I don't fix it. Take it to Dr. Chakwas." And the elevators closed.


	8. Chapter 7

James was in the MedBay, getting his nose fixed by Dr. Chakwas, when Kaidan came in, looking very displeased. He put his hands on his hips and looked at James, "Vega. You have some explaining to do. Why did you get Dr. Akira's files from Liara?"

At this, Dr. Chakwas scowled at him, "You did intel on her? After I told you not to?"

James shrugged as he pulled out the tissue from his nose, only to see that the MediGel has done its job and it had stopped bleeding. "Yeah, I did. Sorry."

A heavy hand smacked him on his bare arm, making it sting, and he rubbed his arm as Dr. Chakwas withdrew her hand. "Ow! Doctor, what the hell?!"

"You hard-headed twit!" Dr. Chakwas said, smacking his arm again, making him flinch, "If Dr. Akira decides to leave the Normandy because of you, I swear I will space you out the airlock myself!"

"No, she's not leaving. Not yet anyway." Kaidan said as he crossed his arms, "I asked her myself. She hasn't decided if she wants to stay. However, she's uncomfortable now, and asks that she be released as James' physician."

Dr. Chakwas huffed, "Well, thank goodness for that. But still…" She smacked James' arm again, much harder this time, and he flinched again. "You owe her an apology, Lieutenant! I will never treat you again if she leaves this ship!"

James rubbed his arm, already turning red from Dr. Chakwas' hits. The doctor might be slightly elderly, but damn, can she hit hard. "Alright! Alright! I will! _Mierda... _she's going to end up beating me to a pulp again."

"And you'll probably deserve it." Dr. Chakwas said, "If I had known she inflicted this injury because you poked your nose into her business, I would've never healed it."

"She's at the Starboard Observation, James." Kaidan said, "And next time, I expect you to follow orders. Dr. Akira herself requested that her files be kept a secret. The fact that you broached her privacy is punishable by Council laws. Be thankful that I was able to keep the Alliance from finding out."

James looked up at Kaidan, and immediately felt guilty. With Shepard… gone, Kaidan was now the highest ranking officer on the Normandy. "Yes, sir."

Kaidan nodded and left the MedBay, and James sighed. Looks like he's going to have to swallow his pride and apologize to the doctor.


	9. Chapter 8

He found Dr. Akira sitting at the bar on the Starboard Observation, swirling her glass around. The room was thankfully devoid of Tali or Garrus' presence and he walked over to the doctor, facing her with the bar counter between them. Akira lifted her eyes up to him, and scowled, before looking down at her glass again.

"What do you want?" She asked before downing her glass, putting it down with a thud.

James grasped the bottle she was drinking from, which happened to be a bottle of Serrice Ice Brandy, and poured her another shot. He then bent down, finding Cortez's bottle of tequila and poured himself a shot. "I came to apologize, Dr. Akira." He said, before throwing back his glass, letting the alcohol warm his throat. "I'm sorry I looked into your files. It was none of my business to intrude on your privacy."

Dr. Akira huffed, and she was about to speak, but James held up a hand, "But I will not apologize for what I did back on Fehl Prime."

She scowled at him as he leaned forward, "I did what I had to do. It was, at that time, the right decision. I had no way of knowing that Shepard was already doing something against the Collectors. Did I feel bad that I let those colonists… Christine and April… die? Yes, I did. I was tormented by their deaths for a year. But that what happens when you're a soldier… you have to make the tough decisions. The same as you."

Dr. Akira blinked, "You dare compare me to you?"

"Yes, I do." He said as he poured himself another shot, and drank it. "You're a doctor. The lives of your patients lie with you. But sometimes they don't heal right, don't they? Sometimes, no matter how hard you try, you're going to have to let them go. You tried your hardest to keep them alive, but sometimes it's just too late. And the only thing you can do is to send a prayer for them and hope they go to _Paradiso_."

Dr. Akira… Regine… kept scowling at him, but she drank from her glass, and swirled the contents around. "My husband died at my table." She said, staring hard at her glass, and James blinked in surprise. "His injury was too grievous, too fatal. He died before I could even get him out of his anesthetic. I was never able to say goodbye to him. To Christine and April."

James swallowed, "I'm sorry to hear that."

She huffed, "I didn't tell it to you to get your pity. It's so you'd understand that I was never able to say goodbye to the people who loved me." She sighed, "And so you would understand why I can be so… difficult."

He laughed a little, "Actually, you're a lot easier than Shepard. That guy _is_ difficult. After being on several missions with him, all that craziness… trust me, working with Commander Shepard was pretty difficult."

Regine looked at him, and her scowl softened a little, her green eyes sad, "I'm sorry you lost him. He was a great leader."

He sighed, and filled his glass, "Yeah… that was… pretty hard. I had hoped to die in a blaze of glory like he did."

She shrugged, "From that hit you took, you almost did. Shepard must have a reason to see that you live."

"Probably. But as of right now, I don't know it yet." He said as he looked at the bottom of his glass.

She nodded, "Survivor's guilt. We both have gone through it." She looked at him again and straightened, raising her glass. "To Commander Shepard, may he be in Paradise."

James looked at her, and he smiled, before clinking his shot glass to hers. Their fingers brushed against each other, and he felt like an electric shock ran down his arm to his heart. She emptied her glass, and so did he, before putting them down on the counter again. She pushed off the stool she was sitting on and stood up, and James straightened as he lifted the bottle again to pour himself another shot.

"Thank you, Mr. Vega." Regine said as she turned around and headed for the door.

He nodded, "Anytime, _reina._"

She turned to him then, "Are you seriously going to keep calling me that, Mr. Vega?"

He laughed before smirking at her seductively, "Yeah. Considering you're the queen of my heart now."

Regine blinked, and she lowered her head. "I'd rather you didn't think that, Mr. Vega." James thought he had upset her again, but his breath got caught in his throat when she finally looked at him, and she bestowed him a small… but very beautiful, smile.

"But, the thought was… flattering. Goodnight, Mr. Vega." She said, before palming the door open and heading out.

James caught the edge of the table as he made his way to one of the bar stools, sitting down on it as his knees weakened. Regine was one of the most beautiful women he had ever met when she smiled. And he was amazed at how much such a simple smile could knock the wind off his lungs and make his knees weaken.

He drained his glass, letting the alcohol warm his insides, and he ran a hand on his forehead to see that he was sweating. He chuckled at himself.

He became more determined to make her smile more often.

**Paradiso- Paradise (or heaven XD)**


	10. Chapter 9

"Why Mr. Vega, to what do I owe the pleasure of having you visit me?"

James laughed as he watched his friend, Steve Cortez, sit up from his bed on the MedBay. The shuttle pilot had suffered major internal bleedings and head injuries from his crash after engaging a Harvester, that it took round the clock care from Dr. Chakwas and Regine to get him better. He finally came around after a week, but he still had bandages on his head and his torso.

"What? I'm not allowed to visit you, Esteban?" James said as he plopped down the seat beside his friend's bed.

Steve laughed a little, "Yeah, you're allowed. I was just surprised you're still alive. I would've thought that you'd rush in headfirst into the fight in London."

"Almost got burned into oblivion by a Reaper." James said, "Shepard ordered me to evac."

Steve's face saddened a bit, "Yeah. I heard about Shepard. Damn him. But I guess that's why he's the commander."

"Yeah." James said, "They ought to build him a statue now. Way much bigger than that krogan statue on the Citadel."

"They probably will, if not, I'm going to meld one." Steve said, and he smiled a little, "But I'm glad you survived, Mr. Vega."

James laughed, "I don't swing that way, Esteban, but thanks. It's good to see you getting better, too. I was afraid we'd lost you."

Steve scoffed, "It would take more than a goddamn Reaper to take me down."

"Exactly." James said, and he grinned at the shuttle pilot, "Besides, you're our procurement officer. We're running low on tequila, man."

Steve laughed out loud, but groaned in pain, so he settled in just chuckling, "I'm hurt. I would've thought that you had gotten some tequila already. I could use a drink when I get out of this bed."

"Yeah well, when you can finally walk, we'll buy all the tequila we need to get completely _borracho._"

Steve grinned at him, "Considering you're such a lightweight, Mr. Vega, I think a single bottle each is enough for you."

"Hey now, I'm no quarian." James said in mock offense, "I can handle my drinks like a krogan."

"A tank-bred krogan." Steve said as his eyes glazed in memory, "You remember that gray krogan Shepard had at the party? Grunt… I think his name was."

"Yeah, that guy." James laughed, "Poor kid drank way too much."

"For a krogan, he's pretty lightweight." Steve grinned, "Kind of like you. How many drinks did you have? Five? Six? All of a sudden you started dancing like some damn asari on Shepard's balcony."

James laughed out loud, holding his stomach, but he was surprised to hear another melodious laughter coming up from behind them. He turned around to see Dr. Akira standing by her table, her hand on her mouth, her shoulder shaking in laughter. She looked at the two men, face still alight with a grin, her face once again beautiful to James as it showed her happiness. She realized the two men were staring at her, and she promptly blushed pink, before excusing herself and leaving the MedBay.

He chuckled as Steve watched the doctor go. "Who's that?"

"Dr. Regine Akira." James said as he watched the woman walk hurriedly to the elevator through the window. "She's Dr. Chakwas' assistant. They brought her here to help with the injured, since Dr. Chakwas had her hands full of… well… you."

"Yeah, pretty nasty stuff happened to me." Steve said, and he raised his hand to the bandage on his head. "I'm going to start wearing a helmet in the Kodiak from now on."

James shrugged, "Probably not. It's a lot more peaceful now, Esteban."

Steve sighed, "Yeah. I imagine so." He looked at his friend, "So… Dr. Akira, huh?"

James looked down at Steve, the other man's mouth turned up into a knowing smile. He felt his face warm up as he looked at the elevator, only to see her glance up at him as the doors closed. "Yeah, she's something…"

"I'm surprised. James Vega, master of flirtation… is shy around some doctor." Steve said, grinning.

"She's not just some doctor, Esteban." James said, and he looked at Steve, a little sad, "She is… was… Christine's sister and April's aunt."

Steve blinked in surprise. He had known what had happened to James before he joined the Normandy, they talked about Fehl Prime while they were in the Cargo Bay during the time they worked. He grimaced, "Ah… that's tough, man. Does she know… of what you did?"

He nodded, "Yeah. She does. She hates me for it."

He grimaced again, "Ouch. That sucks, man. She's going to be a tough nut to crack."

"Nah… I think she's warming up to me… a little." James smiled down at his friend, "You saw her face, didn't you? She is so damn beautiful when she smiles."

Steve nodded, "Yeah. I could see that. I could still appreciate feminine beauty, and she's a prime example. Plus she's smart, too. And she and Dr. Chakwas saved me."

James took a deep breath and let it out, "I know."

There was a silence from Steve, and James looked down at this friend to see him grinning wide. He blushed at the knowing smile Steve was giving him, and pretty soon the shuttle pilot started chuckling. "Oh man, you got it bad for her."

James' face flamed a bit more, and he waved his hand, "Me? No. No, I don't."

Steve burst out laughing, holding his stomach so it wouldn't hurt, "Dude, you just _sighed_! And your face is all red like you've had too much tequila!" His laughter subsided to a bit of chuckling, "You are hit so hard, you don't even notice it."

James blinked and he opened his mouth to answer, but he realized he couldn't. His mouth opened and closed like a fish out of water, and he was saved by the timely arrival of Dr. Chakwas.

"Lieutenant Vega, visiting hours are up." Dr. Chakwas said as he stood, and Steve was still chuckling on his bed. She smiled when he saw that he had cheered up her patient. "Try in visit again tomorrow, I think Mr Cortez appreciates your visits."

"Uhh…" James said, scratching the back of his head, "Sure, Doc. Catch you later, Esteban."

James made his way towards the doors of the MedBay as Steve nodded, and when the Marine was out of earshot, Steve chuckled.

Dr. Chakwas sat down the chair James had occupied and smiled at Steve as she scanned her with her OmniTool. "I'm glad you're able to smile now, Cortez. How are you feeling?"

"A little better, now that I've seen James all flustered and blushing." Steve said as the doctor finished her scans. Dr. Chakwas' silver eyebrow rose and she leaned forward to the shuttle pilot.

"Flustered and blushing? Now I have to hear more of that." She smiled at Steve, "Do tell more, Mr. Cortez."


	11. Chapter 10

"Lieutenant Vega. Major Alenko requests your presence at the CIC."

James looked up at the speaker from which EDI's voice came from, and he finished cleaning up his rifle. "On my way, EDI."

He left the Cargo Hold, which was a good thing, since the place was pretty quiet without his banters with Cortez. He kind of misses the smart ass answers of the shuttle pilot, and he was quite glad that his friend was on the road to recovery.

He boarded the elevator and waited for it to go up, but it opened on the Crew Deck floor, and showed Regine standing in front of the doors. She looked up at Vega as the doors opened and she stepped inside, but her face was once again impassive, as if she had forgotten the time she had laughed in the MedBay. She stood beside him, and waited for the doors to close.

"Lieutenant." She said, as a form of some sort of greeting, her face stoic and icy as before.

"_Reina._" James teased, and he felt his heart flutter again when a small smile lifted from Regine's mouth.

"Seriously going to use that." She muttered, "Do I have to find a nickname for you too, Mr. Vega?"

He chuckled, "Only if you want to, _reina._" And then he shrugged, "But it's usually just my thing. Sometimes the name doesn't match the face, you know. You look like a beauty queen, so I call you _reina_."

She scoffed, "Regine means queen already."

"Yeah, it does." He smiled down at her, "But still, I prefer to call you _reina_. Call it my special name for a special lady."

He chuckled when he saw a small blush creep up her cheeks, and before she could retaliate, the doors opened. James looked down at her and bent a little, extending an arm, "After you, _mi reina._"

Her blush got deeper as she stepped before him, her back straight and rigid from embarrassment. He chuckled as he followed her out the door.

They made their way to the CIC, where Kaidan was standing in front of the galaxy map. He looked down at them as the two came forward, and they saluted. "You called us, Major?" Regine said as she lowered her hand.

"Yes. I did." Kaidan said, "Admiral Hackett has sent us on a mission. And I was hoping that the two of you would be willing to help me."

"Of course, Major." James said.

Kaidan sighed, "We're heading for Fehl Prime."

James and Regine blinked, and James looked over to her to see the doctor swallow a bit, her eyes saddening. Kaidan saw her face, "I'm sorry. I know I should look for someone else to do this assignment with me, but the two of you know the area the most…"

But Regine shook her head, "I understand, Major. We'll be more than happy to assist you."

Kaidan nodded. "A small team of mercenaries had infiltrated Fehl Prime again. We're going to clear them out. The Council has allowed to colony to be reinstated, and we have several humans interested in living there. It's only a small team, roughly thirty mercenaries. I think they were sent to conduct a recon."

"Who else is coming with us?" James said, and Regine looked up at Kaidan again.

"We'll be splitting into two teams." Kaidan said, "Javik, Tali and I will be on one team, the two of you and Garrus on the other. You'll provide protection as Tali and I fix Fehl Prime's communication towers. After that, we'll clean up, and help the colonists settle in for about a month. Javik, Garrus and Tali… will be heading back to their home planets afterwards."

Regine nodded and James sighed, "In short… in short, the Normandy crew is disbanding after the mission."

"It's unavoidable." Kaidan said, but he looked a little sad, "Everyone needs to go home. Garrus needs to help rebuild Palaven, and Tali needs to help the Flotilla in settling into Rannoch. Javik will be staying on Thessia with Liara. Of course, we can still visit them from time to time, but with all the destruction the Reapers have done, rebuilding the home worlds would be a priority."

James nodded, "Understood, Major."

"We'll be in Fehl Prime in thirty minutes, I've already had Joker and EDI set a course." He nodded back to James, "Lieutenant Vega, I had procured some armor for Dr. Akira to use on the mission. If the files are right, she used to be a Sentinel like me. She'll be handy for the mission. Keep her safe."

James looked down at Regine, who blinked at Kaidan. He smirked, "With all my life, Major."

Regine looked up at him, her face turning pink again, as she saluted Kaidan. "We'll go and prepare, Major."

Kaidan dismissed them, and they turned back to head to the elevator, as he called out, "Actually, could you please stay for a moment, James?"

James stopped and looked up at Kaidan, who had a serious look on his face, before looking down at Regine. "Go ahead and head down the Cargo Hold, _reina_. I'll be there in a minute."

Regine nodded and headed for the elevator as James turned around and headed back to Kaidan. "Something on your mind, Major?"

Kaidan nodded, "There is, actually." He crossed his arms and looked at James, "I was informed that you received an invitation to undergo N7 training, Lieutenant Vega."

James blinked. He had forgotten about his N7 recommendation after all the craziness that had happened ever since he talked about it with Shepard in his cabin. And since they had won the War, it was obvious that the N7 program prevailed.

"I talked about it with Shepard." James told Kaidan, "He told me it was a no brainer if I survived the war. I haven't really thought about it because of all the craziness we got into."

"Well, Admiral Hackett hasn't forgotten about it. The offer still stands." Kaidan said, "And I agree with Shepard. The N7 program would get one of the best damn soldiers the Alliance has if you entered."

James chuckled, "I don't know about that, Major."

"You have some time after this mission to make up your mind." Kaidan said, "Come talk to me when you do. I'll forward the necessary forms and recommendations to the Alliance."

James nodded and saluted again, "Thanks, Major."

He left the CIC and headed to the elevator, and headed back down. The doors opened at the Crew Deck again, and this time, it was Garrus who entered the lift. The turian nodded at him, his mandibles flaring a bit in a turian's way of smiling, "Jimmy."

"Hey, Scars." James grinned at the turian as the doors closed, "I guess we've got one more skirmish to do… before you go."

"Yeah." The turian said, "Have to get back on Palaven soon. My family returned already, and they said there are a lot of things to do." The turian sighed, "Hard to believe it's finally over. After all these years, the Reapers are finally gone. Shepard would be proud of what we did."

"Yeah. He would be." James said and the turian patted him on the shoulder.

"He'd be proud of you, too, Jimmy." Garrus said as the lift opened on the Cargo Bay and they both stepped out. The turian headed for a section of the floor that contained his turian armor, and James headed over to his section, only to find Tali working on the Kodiak.

"Hey, Sparks!" He greeted enthusiastically, "What're you doing down here?"

The quarian's helmet turned to him as she stood up, and from the lights that came from her eyes, she was smiling. "With Cortez injured, Kaidan thought it would be okay if I was the one who did the check-ups on the Kodiak. It was banged up pretty hard, but I was able to fix most of the cosmetic and internal damage." The quarian sighed, "Besides, I have to keep busy. I can't stand knowing that… that…"

James understood, and hugged the quarian, "Hey now… it's okay. Everything's going to be fine. He did what he had to."

The quarian nodded in his neck, "I know." She said, her voice a little muffled from having her filter too close his chest. "He would've wanted me to move on. And I am… slowly, I think. But I'll never forget him."

He nodded, "Good on you, Sparks. Now let's get this mission done, so you can get back home and help your people."

She nodded, and pushed off him. "Keelah, James… those arms could crack my helmet. You're way too big."

James laughed, but his laughter stopped when Regine stepped out from behind the Kodiak, wearing a form fitting black suit on her body. The suit had embraced her curves in a… seductively tormenting way, and when she leaned her weight on one leg to fix her hair up, his gaze focused on her… rearview assets.

His jaw must've dropped, because the next thing he knew, Tali was pushing up his chin. "It's rude to stare, James."

He heard a flanging chuckle as Garrus stood behind him, "If I had a human fetish, I would've understood why." He nudged James as he holstered his sniper rifle on his back. "Put your eyeballs back in your sockets, Jimmy, and focus on the mission."

James shook his head as he headed to where his armor was, all the while sneaking peeks at Regine as she started buckling up her suit.

"I heard you'll be fighting with us, Doctor." Garrus said as he sat down on a bench as Regine started dressing. "I'm actually surprised that you know how to get messy."

"I was a Sentinel before I decided to become a Medic, General Vakarian." He heard Regine answer as he removed his fatigues and shirt and put on his body suit. "I fought in several missions before. I know how to handle a gun."

He started buckling up the lower part of his armor as Garrus spoke again, "So I've heard. I'm actually looking forward to seeing you fight, Doctor."

"As I am." Regine said, "Though I must admit, I am a little rusty at it. It's been a while since I held a gun. Syringes were most often the tools that I used to knock people out."

James chuckled as he lifted his armor and his gun, making his way to them before setting it on a table. "I'm sure you'll be fine, _reina._ I've seen you in action. You kicked my ass right here, too."

Regine looked at him and she blinked, before a flush crept up her cheeks. He stood before them shirtless, his very toned abdominals, chest and arms in full view of the doctor. He remembered that although she had removed his armor before, he still had his body suit then and she had never seen him fully shirtless. She turned away from him in an effort to put on her leg armor.

James smirked, "Like what you see, Doctor?"

At this, Regine sighed, before turning to look at him with her usual stoic expression. "Not really, Lieutenant. I was just musing at how well of a job I must've done. You don't have any scarring."

He looked down at his stomach, and realized that she was right. He didn't have any scars from where the Hammerhead piece pierced him. "Yeah, I had one of the best doctors to patch me up."

Regine merely snorted in reply, and Garrus' mandible flared in a smile before he stood up. He looked up at Tali, who saw his expression, and suddenly, the turian _winked_. Tali understood his meaning and opened up her OmniTool. "I think I'd better check on the Drive Core before I leave. Adams might make a mess of something."

Garrus stood up as well, "Oh damn, I think I forgot my scope in the Battery. You guys wait for us here while I go get it."

James watched as the turian and the quarian headed back on the elevator, _giggling_ for crying out loud, on their hands as they left the two humans in the Cargo Hold. He watched them get on the elevator, and James saw that one of Tali's glowing eyes closed, and he realized that the damn quarian had winked at him.

Regine was still busy with her lower armor, and James looked at her to realize that after NOT wearing armor for her years as a Medic, she had actually forgotten how. He grinned as Regine huffed in impatience as she dropped her thigh armor.

"Need help with that, _reina?_" He said as he sat on the bench and watched her.

Her head was still bowed as she tried to fasten it again, "No. I do not need your help, Lieutenant."

James sighed as he looked at her, "Oh-kay. If you say so, just a fair warning. That thing pinches in the most uncomfortable way when you don't wear it right."

Regine's hands, which were trying to buckle the leg armor, stopped, and she finally lifted her head to look at James. He smirked when he saw her blushing face, and her eyebrows were furrowed, like she hated the fact that she was going to accept his help.

"Fine." She muttered. "Please help me with my armor, Mr. Vega." But she glared at him, "But no funny business, or else I'll break your nose again."

James raised up his hands in mock surrender, "Yes, Ma'am." But as he bent over to retrieve the thigh armor, he looked up and realized he was directly position in front of her crotch. Her face turned pink again, and she crossed her arms defiantly. James felt his own face get warm and he brought his attention back to her armor. He adjusted it on her thighs carefully.

"So…" He coughed as he fitted the rest of her armor to her legs, "When was the last time you actually went into battle?"

"Five years ago." Regine answered stiffly as James moved to put on the armor for her left thigh, "Fought batarian slavers."

"Huh. Slavers. This should be just as easy." James stood up and looked down at the next piece of armor, only to see that her 'codpiece' was the next one she was supposed to put on.

"Uhm…" He muttered, and he handed her the piece. Regine's face turned positively red, and she snatched it from him and looked at him pointedly. He turned away with a smirk as she put it on. When he heard the snaps of a lock, he turned around and looked down at her handiwork.

"Looks good." He said, and he blinked. "Sorry, I meant you locked it right. It doesn't… pinch, does it?"

She shook her head and picked up her chest armor, which she put on. He helped her again as he fastened it at the sides as she put on her arm greaves. She shifted the pieces so that it fit her, and James did a full inspection of how she fit in the armor. He gulped when he realized the armor made her look… incredibly hot.

"I'm ready." Regine said, her blush fading and holstering an assault rifle and a pistol to her back.

James blinked as he zipped up his body suit. And then he realized something.

The elevators opened, and suddenly Javik entered the Cargo Hold. "Human, I have been told I am needed for a mission."

He groaned, "Uhh… Yeah, Buggy. Get your gear. Garrus and Tali are on their way down. I'll be right back."

Javik nodded and headed for his weapons as Regine tested her OmniBlade, while James turned his back to them…

And began shifting his codpiece to fit his raging hard-on.

He grimaced as walked, heading to the bathroom and he looked up at the Engineering Deck only to see Tali and Garrus chuckling by the window.


	12. Chapter 11

With the six of them in the Kodiak, it was still a pretty good fit. As it turns out, Regine also had some pilot training since Cortez was still stuck in bed, and she was on the controls of the shuttle with Tali beside her, talking about Earth and Rannoch.

The four men… Garrus, Javik, Kaidan and himself, sat in the back, with Javik's four eyes closed in meditation. Garrus sat beside James, and the turian shifted to lean back and smile at him.

"Soooo…" Garrus said teasingly, his mandibles flared in a smile, "The Doctor, huh?"

James face turned red and he lightly punched the turian's arm. "Shut up. She'll hear you."

Garrus chuckled, and luckily Regine didn't hear their conversation, as she was busy discussing what seemed to be human psychology with Tali. Kaidan peeked at her, before turning to Garrus and James, "Yeah. Chakwas told me you were interested in her, Vega."

James groaned and rubbed his temple, "Damn, this _chismes_ is spreading like a wildfire."

Garrus laughed, and Kaidan smiled. He just shook his head, "Just drop it, okay? I don't think she's interested."

The turian shrugged, "She blushed when you guys were close to each other. Isn't that a human sign of interest?"

"Yeah, it's also a sign of embarrassment." James said, "Come on, Scars…"

"I'm surprised, Mr. Vega." Kaidan said as he leaned back, "I didn't realize you'd give up so easily. I thought you liked the challenging ones."

James smirked a little, "Yeah well, I got her to blush and smile a little, but that's it. The _reina de hielo_ isn't cracking at all."

"Rei… what?" Garrus asked, and James waved a hand, "_Reina de hielo…_ Queen of Ice. She was really cold at me when we first met."

"You made her laugh once too, Dr. Chakwas told me." Kaidan added, "And that's a big deal, Vega. Chakwas said that Akira hadn't laughed… hadn't smiled… since Christine and April's deaths."

James blinked, "R… really?"

Kaidan nodded, "Hackett sent me her psych profile before she boarded the Normandy. She functions, true, but it was almost like she's not human. She never laughs, hardly smiles, and is distant and cold to her patients, and works all the time. Never took a day of leave, it seems."

"Huh… wow." James said, "I guess she was really torn up about it."

Kaidan nodded, "Exactly. I know I told you to back off, James… but now… I want you to do what you can for Dr. Akira. I think… I think you two would be good together."

James smiled at this, and reached out to shake hands with his commanding officers, "Thanks, Major."

Kaidan nodded, but suddenly an explosion rocked the Kodiak, making the Prothean's eyes open.

"We got a visual!" Regine shouted from the pilot's seat as Tali retrieved her shotgun. "Thirty mercs, spread out. Watch out for the snipers! Coming in hot!"

"BRING IT!" James shouted as all of them raised their weapons.

Regine let the Kodiak down on a grassy knoll with plenty of rock cover in Fehl Prime, and stood up as she activated its barriers. She removed her assault rifle behind her as the doors of the Kodiak opened, and they scrambled for cover.

She raised her assault rifle and shot at the soldiers, as Javik the Prothean charged up his biotics and ran ahead, throwing warps around the soldier surrounding the Comm Tower. James ran ahead as well, taking cover, and shooting at the mercs. Garrus provided them with cover fire with his sniper rifle, and soon they made their way to the tower. Regina palmed open the door, and Tali, Javik and Kaidan entered.

"Keep the door covered. Hold the line!" Kaidan said as the three of them shot. James bent over his cover as a bullet nearly hit the top of his hair.

Garrus bent down to cover beside him, and looked at James as Regine came out from under her rock to shoot. "I need a distraction!" The turian shouted, "I need somebody to draw off their fire so I could get the snipers!"

Regine bent down and nodded to James, who took his turn at shooting. "You need somebody that the snipers will target?" She said and she holstered her gun and brought out her pistol. "You got it!"

"Hey! Wait…. Doctor!" Garrus shouted as Regine came out and her biotics flared around her body, shielding her.

"Regine!" James said as he watched the woman charge at the mercenaries like blue lightning, shooting at them with her pistol and slashing at the ones that got too close with her OmniBlade.

"Find the snipers!" She shouted as she punched a batarian mercenary through the stomach, "Right now, Vakarian!"

"Scoped and dropped!" Garrus shouted in exaltation as the snipers started popping out of their cover.

James shot at the ones coming after Regine, but they kept coming at her. She defended herself pretty well with all her moves, using her OmniBlade like a sword as she punched, kicked, shot and stabbed the ones that got near her.

"Snipers cleared out, Doctor!" Garrus said as he shrank down in his cover again to load a fresh heat sink, "Tali, how is the tower doing?!"

"Online in a few seconds!" Tali said from inside the Communication Tower.

"How's the clean-up duty, Garrus?!" Kaidan said.

"Great! Cleaner than the inside of a quarian's EnviroSuit!" Garrus said and he heard Tali give out a small chuckle, "Although, I've never seen Vega so pale before, you guys better hurry!"

"Very funny, Scars!" James yelled as he shot down another merc, jumping up out of cover to shoot at the mercenaries charging at Regine.

"Comm Tower activated!" Tali cried out, "We're on our way back down, just hold it!"

"We're trying!" Garrus said, "The doctor's charging like a damn krogan!"

"Damn it!" He heard Kaidan say, "We're on our way! Just hang on!"

But suddenly the firing stopped, and a single gunshot sounded. Garrus stood up, only to see that all… ALL the mercs were dead, the last one shot by Regine's pistol. He walked over to James, who had dropped his rifle in shock. He looked down at him, to see the soldier's mouth open in shock as he stared in complete adoration at the doctor. He looked over to Regine, and saw the doctor with her back to them. Her OmniTool out, her pistol on her hand, her armored body splattered with blood, and her blonde hair unbound down her back during the fray.

Garrus watched as Regine lowered her head and turned to them, her face splattered with blood. And then, she smiled, her green eyes bright with triumph and her hair fluttering around her, "Good work, General Vakarian… Lieutenant Vega. Thank you."

Garrus' mandibles flared out wide in a smile. But James… fell to his knees. The turian blinked as he bent down at his friend, "You okay, Vega?"

James lowered and shook his head, and then Garrus realized he had a bullet hole on his stomach. Regine realized it too, and she quickly ran to James. "James!" She exclaimed, and she put her hand on his face.

Her touch woke him from his pain, and he looked up at her. His vision swam a little from the blood loss, but her face… her face was genuinely worried. Her brows were turned up, and her open mouth was gasping in fatigue and in shock at seeing James wounded. He smiled a little, and lifted a hand to touch her cheek, and her eyes widened in surprise. His heart twisted at her beauty again.

_Damn… I think I love her…_ he thought, before the darkness took him.

**Chismes - rumors**


	13. Chapter 12

"Seriously, Vega? Again? Wake up already."

James blinked, the bright lights of the Normandy's MedBay making him blink and he lifted himself off the bed again to see Kaidan, smirking down at him.

"Ugh… didn't this happen already?" James said as he sat up. His armor and undershirt had been removed, and he looked down at his stomach to see a glop of MediGel on it, sealing the wound. "What the hell happened?"

"You got shot, obviously." Kaidan said as he sat down the chair by his bed. "You ran ahead with Dr. Akira in the middle of the fight, and started shooting. You didn't even realize your shields were down from all those hits. Actually, her shields were almost depleted. You pretty much shielded her from the last shot."

James smirked, "Good. At least she's not hurt."

Kaidan nodded, "Yeah, she's fine. The three of you pretty much cleared out all the mercs. There wasn't anything left for us."

He chuckled and looked around the empty MedBay. "So, what now, Major?"

"Now…" He smiled, "Now we take a little well-deserved break. We have a month to help the colonists settle in, restore communications to the Alliance, build up the colony's defenses…"

"Yeah, yeah. I get it. Not exactly the kind of break I'm looking for, since there's still some work involved." He swung his feet over to the side of the bed and bent over to fetch his shoes. The wound on his stomach made it hard, but he was able to move. "Who helped me?"

"Dr. Chakwas removed the bullet, since Dr. Akira is rather busy." Kaidan explained as he stood up and waited for James to finish putting on his shoes. "I brought you a shirt and your Alliance fatigues. She cleared to walk around, and Dr. Akira is waiting for you at a clinic in the colony."

James nodded as he straightened, and Kaidan patted his shoulder as he left. He sighed before putting on his fatigues.

He made his way down to the Cargo Bay, surprised that the Normandy was quiet and that most of the crew members weren't around. When he got there, he realized that the Normandy has landed on Fehl Prime, and that everyone was helping out in the colony.

He saw the Engineers… Adams, Daniels, Donnelly and Tali… by the old anti-ship cannon, talking. Traynor was by the Communications Tower, talking to the other Alliance members engineers. He could see EDI and Garrus, being strong beings, carrying boxes of supplies along with other colonists, being led by Cortez who was holding himself up on a crutch. He couldn't see Javik or Joker, but then again, he didn't stop to look into the bridge or the crew deck of the Normandy… the two could be hiding to prevent from helping. He saw Dr. Chakwas in one of the tents that were put up, distributing supplies to the colonists. A few feet from her was… Regine, who seemed to be rubbing Medigel on a wounded child, surrounded by her friends.

James made his way to her, feeling his heart quicken at the sight of her soft smile, and soothing words.

"Here you go. All done. That didn't hurt at all, did it?" Regine said, smiling gently at the child as she stifled her cries.

"No. It didn't." The child said, tears subsiding, and Regine smiled again as they straightened up.

Regine planted her hands on her hips, and looked at the children in front of her. "Alright, let this be a lesson for all of you. Don't run too much, and be careful where you go, or else you'll get tripped, too."

"Yes, doctor!" The children shouted as they scrambled, the wounded child among them. The little girl turned back to look at her and waved, "Bye, Dr. Akira!"

Regine's smile widened as she waved back, and James smiled at her soft look, "You should smile like that more often, Regine."

She turned to look at him, "James!" And she blushed when she realized that she had used his first name.

Hearing his name on her lips made his heart stop, and he inhaled a breath before smiling down at her, "I didn't realize we're on a first name basis now, Regine."

She looked up at him again, before lowering and shaking her head, smiling a little as her hair hid her face. "You started it, Mr. Vega."

"Hey now, you just called me James a second ago." He smirked down at her, "You could call me by my first name, you know. I don't mind."

Regine smiled a little again, "Perhaps, but in behalf of my profession, I think it's better that I call you appropriately, Mr. Vega."

"But as I remember correctly, you also asked Kaidan to release you from being my physician." Regine blinked and looked up at him.

She sighed, "Yes, I guess I did."

"So…" James said as he faced her, "Since you're no longer my doctor, maybe I can settle in being your friend?" He held out his hand to her and she looked down at it. She smiled a little as she put a gentle hand into his, and shaking it. He gulped, the coolness of her hand in his like silk.

"Maybe we can be friends… James." She said, smiling a little.

"Friends… it's a start." James said, smirking down at her, and she shook her head, "Such a flirt." She muttered.

They looked behind at the colony, watching the people move about, and he sighed. "I never thought I'd be back though, it's… it was really hard for me."

Regine nodded, "I know. I didn't think I would be back here either."

James looked around them, and saw a stone monolith. He remembered what it was. It was the Memorial Wall that the Alliance had put up after their mission. He looked down at her, "Have you visited the Memorial Wall, Regine?"

At this, the doctor turned to the monolith he had seen, and she swallowed. James saw it… fear, sadness… in her eyes. He realized that she had never visited Fehl Prime since her family's death. He took her hand, gently squeezing it. She looked up at him, and he saw that her eyes were wet with tears. He nodded to her, and hoped that his eyes showed what he meant.

_It's okay. I'm here with you._

She nods, and he sighs in relief, but she turned her head towards the colony. "Wait for me here, I just want to get something."

He nods back, and she smiles at him a little and runs towards one of the crates, digging into it with her hands. Finally, she stands up, holding a couple of boxes in her hand. She heads back to Vega and nods, and they walk together towards the monolith, the wind and the sun at their back.

"I haven't been here for years." Regine said as they walked, "I visited Christine here, when April was five. She was so thrilled to see me again, and April… oh my God, she was the most energetic kid I've ever met in my life."

James laughed, "Yeah. She's a spitfire, alright." He smiled down at her, "She loved getting up my shoulders and putting on my helmet. I guess you were the reason why she was so into Alliance guys."

"I guess… she saw me in my Sentinel uniform once, she thought it was cool." Regine smiled sadly, "I was supposed to visit them.. a few days after the Collectors hit. I had filed my leave and had my ticket. But it was too late."

James looked down at her, and grasped her hand, and she smiled a little at him.

They finally reached the Memorial Wall, and Regine bent down. She blinked when he saw a familiar looking medal, along with a tattered teddy bear and other tokens. She lifted the medal and peered at it, recognizing the Alliance insignia.

"Who left their Alliance badge down here?" Regine asked, and he coughed. "I did. I left it for April."

She looked up at him, her eyes a little shocked, but she blinked and started opening the boxes she had.

James watched as she laid what looked like a music box with a dancer on top of it by the Memorial Wall, as well as a stuffed rabbit with a ribbon on its head. She bowed her head in prayer, and James did the same. Finally, she straightened up and stood beside him.

"What's with the dancing music box?" James asked, and she smiled a little.

"Christine said it reminded her of me. I used to dance, before… when our parents adopted us. She really loved watching me dance. But she didn't have a single flexible muscle in her body, so she settled on learning to play the piano. When we were kids, she would play and I would dance to her music. Our adopted parents loved it."

"It sounds like you two were close."

"We were… but when we got married to our husbands, and I started my Alliance training… we… sort of fell apart." She sighed and reached out to the Memorial Wall, touching the Christine and April's names. "I only visited them once."

James nodded, and looked back at the Memorial Wall. "I cried… in this very spot." He said, and Regine looked up at him, "It… seemed like a good idea that time to save the intel. But when everything… was done… I couldn't…" He took a deep breath and exhaled, "It tore at me. The guilt. It crushed me to pieces. I couldn't stand… looking at myself in the mirror. When I did, I felt like I was looking at April and Christine's faces… the faces of the people of Fehl Prime. And yet the Alliance… promoted me."

"What did you do?" Regine asked.

"I ran off… headed to Omega." He said, "Pissed off my credits on gambling and _cerveza_, picked fights… anything to get my mind of it. Anderson found me after pissing off a bunch of batarians. He told me to clean up, and move on after what I did to Fehl Prime." He scoffed, "I told him to just throw me in the brig and be done with it. And he did. He made me guard Commander Shepard."

"He told me I shouldn't blame myself for what happened. That I should blame the Reapers. He said that just because the people of Fehl Prime died, that I shouldn't be so eager to follow them. I did what I had to do, made the decision that no one else could've made. And that made me a terrific soldier."

Regine smiled a little, "And that's how he earned your respect."

"No, he earned my respect before I even met him." James said honestly, "Shepard, for me, was the prime example of what soldier should be like. There were a lot of hard decisions he had to make, but he knew that the galaxy's safety takes precedence over all. All those who had died… he did it for them. It pushed him to make sure the Reapers were stopped."

"And he did." She said, "And that's the reason you fought too, didn't you? You fought for the people of Fehl Prime."

James sighed and he nodded, "Yeah. I did."

They stood silently for a while, with James staring at April's name. He was surprised when Regine leaned down and took his hand, squeezing it. He looked down at her, and her green eyes looked… happy. A tear rolled down her cheek as she smiled so beautifully at him. He saw her swallow.

"Thank you." She said, "For taking care of them when I wasn't there. For doing your best to save them. And for fighting in their name."

James looked at her, and he smiled, before raising a hand and laying it on her cheek, wiping her tear away with his thumb. Her skin felt like satin on his hand, and he longed to touch more of her. She bestowed him with one of her rare… genuine smiles, and his heart jumped a beat. Her green eyes stared at him, and he saw his reflection in them. He felt his heart thunder in his chest as he pulled her closer to him, her face inching closer, her breath ragged and hot on his face. He was aware that her hand has lifted to his chest, her fingers warm on his collarbone. Fehl Prime… the galaxy faded around him… as he held her close. He felt her breath as she exhaled… her ruby red lips barely a few inches from his… and he longed to kiss her, to taste her…


	14. Chapter 13

"Lieutenant Vega?"

Both of them jumped, and Regine hurriedly stepped back from him, breaking their connection, her face flaming as she bowed her head and turned back to the Memorial Wall. James growled a little at the interruption.

_Joven…_ he thought, before turning back towards the speaker, and blinking.

An Alliance marine stood behind them, his dark brown hair plastered on his head, his eyes smiling at him. He carried a sniper rifle on his back, and he was grinning at him. James remembered his face instantly. After all, he stood beside him and Treeya on the exact same spot a few years ago.

"Milque?!" He gasped in surprise, "God damn, man! It's so good to see you!"

The soldier laughed before shaking James' hand and embracing him with one arm in a brotherly embrace. James patted Milque's shoulder as they separated. "The hell are you doing here, man?"

"Alliance told us to help us rebuild this colony." Milque said, his green eyes filled with mirth. "And… I decided to retire here, too."

"You're retiring?" James asked, shocked as Regine turned around to look at them.

The sniper scratched his head, "Yeah. You know, with all the craziness that happened on Earth, and the Reapers… well, let's just say I've had enough adventures worth a lifetime."

James nodded, "Yeah. I can understand that. It's just too bad, man. You're a hell of a shot. The Alliance is going to miss one hell of a sniper."

Milque laughed, "Yeah well, with Earth saved, there would be a lot more snipers available for recruitment now." He pointed at one of the buildings that the colonists were building, "Although I did decide to make a bar here. Nothing fancy, just a nice comfortable place to get a drink. Not like Chora's Den or Afterlife, you know. Just a nice, fun bar for people to just chill around with their friends over a few drinks."

He laughed, "Yeah. I know about you and your drinks, Milque." He looked over to the Normandy, "You know, I think I remember you saying that I owe you a drink. How about I get one of those great _tequilas_ our Procurement Officer got and share it with you at your brand new bar, eh?"

"Sounds great, Vega…"

"Chris?"

The three of them turned around to see a woman, with black hair, walking towards them. Milque's face brightened when he saw her, "Amelia! Hey, come and meet my old commanding officer!"

The woman stood beside Milque and put her around his waist, while he put an arm around her. "Lieutenant, this is my wife, Amelia. Sweetheart, this is Lieutenant James Vega." He smiled proudly at him, "This is the man who saved my life."

Regine blinked as James took Amelia's hand and shook it, "It's an honor to finally meet you, Lieutenant. Chris has been telling me about you."

"Thank you, Ma'am. It's an honor to meet the wife of one of the bravest soldiers I've ever met." James said, and he looked back at Regine, "This is Dr. Regine Akira, she's one of our doctors in the Normandy. She was Christine's sister and April's aunt, Milque."

Milque blinked, "Oh? No wonder you looked so familiar." He held out his hand and Regine took it in hers, "Nice to meet you, Doctor."

"Likewise, Mr. Milque." She said. And Milque grinned.

"Anyway, we got to help some of colonist settle in. And I've got to check on my liquor supplies." The sniper laughed, "Come by the bar when you got time, eh, Vega? Just ask them for the Delta Bar. All of them know where it is."

James laughed, "Delta Bar, huh? Sure, Milque. I'll come by later with that _tequila_ I promised you." He blinked when he remembered something, "Hey, man. Have you heard anything from Treeya?"

Milque nodded, "Yeah. She has a bondmate now. She helped around in Thessia during the war. I think she's still there for the rebuilding." He waved goodbye at them as the couple headed back to the colony, "See you later, Vega."

James chuckled as they watched him go, "He named his bar after our squad. I didn't know that man was sentimental."

Regine looked at him, "Treeya… she was the asari you saved. Did you love her?"

He shrugged a little, "Yeah… I think I did… once. But I guess… not anymore. We stopped talking when I left for Omega."

"I see." Regine said, looking down at her feet, "And now?"

James looked at her, her blond hair hiding her blush. And he grinned. He looked around, and saw a familiar looking bush, probably planted by a colonist. He looked at it and plucked a flower from it before heading back to her. He put it a few inches from her bowed face, and she looked up, her eyes blinking in surprise and familiarity.

"A gardenia…" She muttered as she took the flower from his hand and inhaled its scent. "I didn't know that they could grow here."

James smiled, "I remember that one of the colonists planted it here." He took her chin and brought her gaze to him. "_Usted es la persona que amo, mi reina._"

She blinked, "What does that mean, James?"

His spine tingled when she said his name again, and he smiled. "It means you should think about downloading a Spanish translator on your earphones, _mi reina._"

Regine blinked again, before smiling, and James bent down and kissed her cheek. Her face turned red at his action, and he drew back, smiling at her shocked expression. He winked at her before walking back to the colony, whistling happily, as she stood still by the Memorial Wall with her hand on her cheek.

**Joven – fuck**

**Usted es la persona que amo, mi reina – You are the person I love, my queen**


	15. Chapter 14

The days he spent in Fehl Prime became much more pleasant after that.

Rebuilding the colony took a while, but Vega never felt more at peace at himself as he worked. The Normandy crew were a big help. Tali and the engineers fixed the anti-ship cannon faster than he thought he would, and Traynor fixed the Communications Tower without a glitch. Even Garrus and EDI helped, adding additional defense mechanism, emergency stockpiles and communication protocols.

Dr. Chakwas and Regine were busy most of the time. They helped the colonists with medical supplies and check-ups, and helping the colonist when they were injured or sick. Regine seemed to be gravitated to the children, and would often watch over them as they played and rubbed their wounds and sores away with MediGel when they played too roughly. James realized that she smiled more often now, and her cold demeanor slowly melted away as she spent time with the colonists and with him.

He saw her once, while helping Tali with fixing the anti-ship cannon. He was flattening a piece of the metal beam that supported the cannon, when he saw Regine by a grassy knoll a few meters away from him. She was surrounded by the Fehl Prime children as they tagged each other, and a little girl clung to her as she walked, and she was holding a year old baby in her arm, smiling and laughing at the children's antics. He continued to watch her, his work completely forgotten, as one of the children brought a gardenia from the bush he got it from, and gave it to her. She smiled widely, thanking the child and she put the flower on her ear as the child clapped in delight. She laughed as she touched the child's head.

She looked up at the sky, shielding her eyes with her free hand, and she blinked when she noticed him looking at her from the beam he was sitting one. She smiled gently at him, before raising a hand and waving at him. He waved back, and she grinned. Unfortunately, he dropped his hammer from waving at her, and he cringed as the hammer fell several feet from him, making noises that surprised Tali. The quarian started shouting at the top of her lungs, calling him a "_bosh'tet_", telling him it almost dropped on her helmet. He yelled in apology at the quarian below him, and he looked back to Regine to see that she too had cringed, before shaking her head, and smiling, mouthing out the words 'get back to work'. He saluted her before making his way down to get his hammer back, and apologize properly to Tali.

All of them worked hard, but once the sun came down, the crew went and joined Vega in the Delta Bar with Milque. Cortez secured several crates of _tequila _for Milque's bar, and as it turned out, Milque was actually a very good bartender. He never did anything flashy with the bottles, but his drinks tasted better than what he had tasted on Afterlife.

James normally drank with Joker, Garrus, Kaidan, Donnelly, and Adams… although the women did come by once, and they had to carry the drunk quarian back to the Normandy for drinking too much. It was a great end to a day when they worked in Fehl Prime. They traded war stories, sports, tactics, guns and physical fitness.

It was a good life for James.

It wasn't until the crew's last two weeks that James remembered something.

Kaidan went to him that morning, and he reminded James of his N7 application. The training was to take place in three weeks, just enough time for him to settle back into Earth. He blinked when the Major told him about it, and he looked at Regine, who was sitting by the grassy knoll by the Memorial Wall again, her gaze looking far off into the horizon.

"I'll be preparing a shuttle for you, too, James. We'll drop you off at Earth after dropping the others." Kaidan was telling him, and he noticed he was distracted. "You okay, James?"

James' gaze snapped back at him, and he nodded, "Yeah, I'm okay, Major. Sure, I'll be there."

Kaidan looked at James, then to Regine and he sighed, "She's staying here, you know."

He looked at the Major, who nodded to Regine, "She… asked the Alliance if she could stay here in Fehl Prime as the colony's Medical Officer, and they allowed her." He looked back at James, "It's going to take a year for you to finish your N7 Training, James. Make sure you could say goodbye to her before you leave."

James nodded, and Kaidan patted his shoulder as a sign of comfort before walking away. James sighed as he made his way to Regine, who looked up at him.

"I've heard that you're heading back to Earth." Regine said as he sat down beside her, stretching out his right knee and bending his left as he leaned back on his right hand. "The other Alliance officers told me."

He nodded as she shifted her knees, hugging them to her chest, "Yeah, I am. Kaidan said it might take me a year if I do well in the program." He looked down at her, "He said you were staying."

She nodded, still staring at the horizon, "Yes. I am. Dr. Chakwas will be the Chief Medical Officer of the Normandy."

They sat together in silence, before James looked at her again. "What are you thinking about?"

"Ryuuichi… my husband." She said, "It's been three years since he had gone. I miss him a bit… but…"

"But?" James asked.

She sighed deeply, "I don't know… it feels like I'm betraying him… with what I feel."

James's heart jumped at his chest, "About what, exactly?"

"About this." She said, and she looked up at him, a little sad, "Us."

James smiled a little sadly, and she sighed as she hugged her knees tighter. "I loved him, James. And it feels wrong… to let myself feel anything… for you." Regine sighed. "I can't… and I shouldn't."

James blinked as he looked at her, "What are you talking about, _reina?"_

"I mean… we can't do this. I can't fall in love with you, Mr. Vega. It's not right. You need someone whole, someone… better. The deaths of my husband… my family… it changed me. I am not the same person I used to be. You need someone who is much more in control of herself. And as I understand it, you'll be busy with your N7 training anyway." She sighed as she shifted so she could stand, "I'm sorry, James."

But James took her hand and held her still, "Why not?" He asked her, "Why can't I love you, Regine? You're smart, beautiful, strong, and efficient. I saw you fight mercenaries like they're damn security guards. You care for people, even though you hide it. Why can't I deserve to love woman like you?"

"James…" Regine said.

"I understand that the people of your life were taken from you. I know that I have some of the blame for that." He swallowed, "But me… I will not let myself get taken, Regine. If I have to stay alive to show you that I love you, then I will. And when I commit to something, I fully commit. I'm committed in my training, but I'm committed to you, too. I will finish my N7 training, and I'll come back to you."

She laughed a little, "Don't think I'm stupid, James. I know what the N7 program is about. You'll be doing missions off-world, and it'll be dangerous." She turned away from him, and started shifting so she could stand up. "At least, I could still say goodbye to you before you leave."

But James pulled at her wrist roughly as she stood, dragging her down in his lap. Regine blinked as she looked up, but James held her down with his hands. His eyes burned with determination at her.

"I am NOT going to die, Regine." He said, staring her down. "I will finish this program, and I will come back. Your family was taken from you, and I'm not going to be like that." He grinned at her, "So pardon me for being smug, but I am going to make sure as hell that they won't take me from you. I will give the _dios de la muerte_ the middle finger and come back."

Regine laughed at his words, and James chuckled with her as he tightened his arms around her, molding her body to his. She laid her hand on his chest as she sighed, before looking into his eyes again. "Take care of yourself, Mr. Vega. For me."

James nodded, and Regine wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling him closer. He tightened his hold of her as her face got closer, and soon he felt the touch of her lips on his.

Her lips were soft and moist, her breath minty as she breathed against him. He felt her lips part a little, and he reached out with his tongue to lick her lips. She was sweet, like sugar, and James groaned at the taste of her. He tightened his hold of her as her own tongue tasted him and she opened her mouth a little more to him.

He held her closely with one arm, while his other hand ran down from her face to her neck, his fingers stroking softly at her collarbone. She moaned a little at the contact, and James' loins stirred in wanting. But he pulled himself away, breathing hard against her neck.

"I'm sorry." He said, breathing deep, trying to get himself to calm down. "We are… a little exposed right now."

Regine blinked, and she quickly shifted to sitting beside him on her heels, blushing deeply. "I'm sorry, too. That was very inappropriate of me."

James laughed, "Don't worry, _reina._ I liked it. In fact, I'm really beginning to like the unprofessional side of you."

Regine looked at him and laughed melodiously, her face still blushing, but her awkwardness gone. He laughed with her.

"Hey, you know what?" James said, "I don't think I've never had the chance to get a date with you, being so busy with the colonists and all. What about a drink… tonight? Milque's Delta Bar is pretty good, nothing like Afterlife or some crappy bar."

She raised an eyebrow at him, "But… aren't you going to go drinking with your friends?"

He shrugged, "Well, you saved half of them from death, so technically they are also your friends. And yeah, but I get the feeling it'll be okay for them to miss me once in a while."

Regine chuckled, and she nodded. "Sounds good. So… tonight?"

James nodded, "Yeah. Pick you up at eight?"

Regine stared out into the horizon again, before looking at him and smiling, "Okay. I'll see you at eight."

He grinned as she started to get up, but before pushing off from the ground, she bent over and kissed him on the cheek, before smiling at him, "I'll see you tonight, James."

James watched as she stood up and walked away from him, her hips swinging as she went down the knoll. He sighed and lay down on the grass, watching the clouds go by in the sky. Finally, he grinned to himself and began punching the arms in exaltation, shouting cheers to himself.

Garrus and Tali watched the Alliance Marine as he punched at the empty air on top of him, yelling "yeah!" and "whoohooo!" while lying at the grass near the Memorial Wall. Tali shook her head as Garrus chuckled.

"Oh Keelah." Tali said as she watched the clearly-gone-insane James Vega struggling on the grass like he was being attacked by an invisible Husk despite of having a wide grin on his face. "What's gotten into that man?"

Garrus chuckled as he went back to calibrating the anti-ship cannons. "Well, you know what humans say, love makes you do the craziest things."

**Dios de la muerte- God of Death**


	16. Chapter 15

James stood by the door, tugging at his jacket as the people of Fehl Prime looked at him with wide smiles, and he waved at a couple of people who said hi to him. He stood by Regine's door, making sure his suit was on straight. He took a deep breath before knocking.

"I'm coming!" Regine shouted from the inside, and James' had to mentally shake his head at how the words seemed dirty in his head. Finally, James heard the door unlock, and his mouth flew open in shock.

Regine stood by the door, smiling at him, her face blushing a little at him. She had very little make-up on her face, and her blond hair was released from its bun, flowing down her back to her waist in soft waves. She wore a halter-top, emerald-green dress, fitting to her upper body like a second skin, before a thick ribbon reached her waist, and the dress flared into a skirt that went down to the middle of her thighs. She wore a pair of simple pair of black stiletto heels that wrapped around her ankle, but the shoes made her incredibly smooth legs longer. A necklace and a bracelet beside her silver OmniTool cuff studded with small emerald completed her look, and he swallowed.

"Hello, James." Regine said, and she blushed at his scrutiny.

"Regine… you look…" James started, but he couldn't think of any words to describe her beauty… "_Maravilloso_."

Regine blushed again, as she fiddled with her bracelet. "Thank you… you look really handsome, too." She shifted, "Uhm… I'm just going to lock the door for a bit. Hang on."

James nodded, and Regine brought out her OmniTool, turning around to lock the door. He blinked as he saw the back of her dress, swallowing as he realized that the dress showed off the smooth expanse of her back to him. He watched the muscles in her back as she moved.

"_Madre de Dio…"_ He whispered, and he took in a deep breath to calm the growls of desire he felt was slowly going up his chest. And Regine looked at him as she went down to him, smiling. He shook his head and brought out an arm, and she threaded her arm through his.

"What? No sky car?" Regine teased as they slowly walked around the colony, and James laughed.

"Regine, the bar is just around a couple of blocks." James said as they walked, "Besides, I want to show off my date. She's been enclosed in that ice-cold doctor demeanor for so long."

He smiled as Regine blushed, "I haven't been in a dress in years. I was so focus at being at Medic. I was… burying what was left of my old self, I guess."

James looked down at her, "That was your way of burying the pain, _reina._"

"It was." Regine said, "I wasn't always so cold. I'm… sorry."

He shook his head, "I buried myself in guilt and _cerveza_, too, Regine. Believe me, I know all too well what it's like. I'm just happy you're coming out of your shell." She smiled at him, and he chuckled, "Besides, you look beautiful without your cold doctor shell."

Regine laughed a little and they stopped in front of Milque's bar. He pulled open the door and bowed, "After you, _mi reina._"

She smiled and stepped inside the threshold, with James following behind her, but he blinked when he realized that the bar was completely empty and was dimly lit with candles. The surfaces were wiped up cleanly, the bottles behind the bar arranged, and it looked to Vega like a really posh restaurant. Milque stood in front of them, wearing what looked like a waiter's get up.

"Good evening, Lieutenant… Dr. Akira." Milque said, bowing before them respectfully, although he was smirking at James' shocked expression.

"Wow, Milque." James said, "What did you do to the place?"

The former sniper shrugged, "We were told by Major Kaidan Alenko to clean up for a special date between you and the doctor." He said, still smirking, "And you know me, Lieutenant, I don't do things half-way."

He chuckled, "Yep. You sure don't. This looks good, Milque. You should do this kind of décor upstairs."

"I actually intend to, Lieutenant." Milque said, before holding out an arm to indicate a curving staircase that went up, "However, tonight is not about me. Major Alenko has made reservations. Your table is upstairs."

James nodded and held out a hand for Regine as they went upstairs, where a single table for two was set up elegantly. Blinking lights riddled the ceiling, and it looked to James the galaxy outside. A recording of soft piano music played in the background.

James pulled out the chair for Regine, and she sat down on it, looking around. James sat on the other chair, and Regine looked around breathlessly, "This looks amazing, Mr. Milque. How did you manage to do all this?"

Milque laughed a little, "Well, in all honesty, the Normandy crew helped." James blinked in surprise, "Kaidan set the tables up, and Tali and Garrus worked on the lights and ambience. Liara recorded the songs on the piano for you." He bowed again, "Our chefs have made a very special meal for both of you. Please excuse me while I get them. Would you like some champagne while you wait?"

James nodded, and Milque went off to a door in the back, bringing two chilled flutes and a bucket of iced champagne. He opened it for them, and poured them in the glasses. "I didn't know you are quite the waiter, Milque."

"I was one before I joined the Alliance, Lieutenant." Milque said, before heading to the back again.

Regine chuckled, "If I didn't know better, this is the crew's way of saying 'you need a love life'."

James laughed out loud, "Seems like it. Those people… they probably did all of this for us."

"This is all your fault." Regine said, smirking at him, "If you hadn't read my personal file, this wouldn't happen."

"Yeah. It's my fault. But I don't regret it." He leaned over and touched her cheek, "Not for a damned minute."

Regine smiled at him again, and she leaned her cheek to his hand. James smiled at her, before lowering his hand as Milque came in with appetizers.

James blinked to see that the chef cooked his favorite appetizer, some chicken quesadillas. He looked up to see that Regine looked down in surprise as Milque placed a Brie Cheese appetizer in front of her.

"Uhm… how did anyone know that I loved this?" Regine said as she looked down at the pastry.

Milque smiled again, "We have our informants, Dr. Akira. Please enjoy your meal."

James grinned at her, "Aha… French cuisine fanatic. I should have known, _reina._"

Regine smiled, "Not really, James. I draw the line at _escargot._"

James laughed, and they started eating as they talked about everything that popped up into their minds… their military career, their life back on Earth, their fighting styles… and their life in the Normandy.

"I… was more attached to Tali during the short time I was there." Regine said as she ate a chicken Cordon Bleu while James ate a Carne Asada for their main course, "I think… when she lost Shepard, I could understand her pain."

James nodded as he watched her while they ate. Regine's face was a myriad of emotion while they talked… she smiled when they talked about funny things, sad when they talked about Christine or April, and angry whenever they talked about the mistakes the Alliance made when not listening to Shepard… so many emotions. It was the first time that James had seen her emotions unguarded, and it drove him crazy to see that so much feelings were contained in that ice- cold demeanor of hers. He was happy that she had finally let that façade go.

Finally, Milque served them desserts, and he smiled when the sniper brought out a favorite of his, a bowl of chocolate and vanilla ice cream. He laid down a slice of strawberry cheesecake in front of Regine, and he grinned at the look of childish wonder she had when she looked down at the confection.

"Oh. My. God." Regine said, her green eyes sparkling in amazement, "Fresh strawberries? How did you even manage to get these?"

"Cortez."

James laughed at Milque's single word explanation as he went back to the kitchen, and Regine giggled along, but she took her fork and took a bite of the cheesecake. She closed her eyes in bliss as she savored the taste of the strawberries, her spine tingling in pleasure at the sweetness of the fruit.

James, in the meantime, watched the look of bliss on Regine's face, swallowing a bit at her expression of pleasure. It sent a tingle of electricity down his spine, and it made it even harder to control himself when she moaned out a little in pleasure before opening her eyes and getting another bite. He coughed and started eating his ice cream.

When they had finished, Milque cleared up their table, and James looked up at Milque, "Damn, man. I didn't know you can cook."

Milque laughed, "No, I didn't do the cooking. I've got a kitchen staff for tonight, would you like to meet our chefs?"

James nodded, "Hell, yeah!"

The sniper grinned and went to the door, calling out the people in the kitchen. James blinked as EDI, Joker, Traynor and Cortez came out, smiling… with Joker and Cortez wearing a chef's hat.

"Awww… no way. Joker and Esteban?! You guys can cook?" James said as he shook hands with them.

"Hey, just because I get stuck on the pilot's chair a lot doesn't mean I don't have mad skills." Joker said, laughing. "My dad is French, he taught me and my sister Hilary to cook. And according to Liara, Doc Akira's a French cuisine fan, so here I am." He pointed at EDI, "She does everything for me, though. I just do the tasting and the seasoning and stuff."

Cortez nodded and pointed at Traynor, "Same here. Joker did Dr. Akira's food, and I did yours. Don't worry, I didn't poison it or anything. Did you guys enjoy it?"

Regine nodded and smiled at them, "Yes. Very much, thank you. You guys are awesome."

The three humans blushed with pleasure, and EDI nodded to her, "Thank you, Dr. Akira. It was our pleasure."

Cortez patted James, "Well, it was fun doing it for you guys. We'll leave it to Milque now. We're turning up for the night. See you guys tomorrow."

"Yeah, man. See you!" James said as Regine waved at the crew as they went back to the kitchen to clean up and shut off.

Milque nodded and turned to James, "Actually, Major Alenko gave this to us just a minute ago." He said, pulling out an envelope and giving it to James.

James looked confused for a moment before opening the envelope and taking out a card. " 'Hey, Vega.'" He read, " 'I forgot to tell you… you're on guard duty on the Normandy tonight. I'm out back here in the kitchens drinking with the crew. Take care of the old girl tonight, will you? You can sleep in the Captain's Cabin tonight. EDI will allow you in. – Kaidan.'"

He turned the card over and smirked as he read, " 'PS: I left you some tequila in the mess hall. –Cortez… Don't do anything to the Drive Core or Main battery or the CIC or the bridge.- Tali, Garrus, Traynor and Joker. I've disabled my surveillance systems as well, Lieutenant. – EDI."

Regine blinked, and began laughing out loud, "If that last comment from EDI isn't an innuendo, then I don't know what is."

James laughed with her, shaking his head. "Well, you heard the Major. Guard duty on the Normandy. You up for it, _reina?"_

Regine smiled a little, "Sounds good, Lieutenant."

Maravilloso – Beautiful

Cerveza - beer

Escargot – French for snails… a common delicacy…. Well sort of XD


	17. Chapter 16

"Hmm… it's too quiet."

Regine stood at the cargo hold, her arms around her, walking around James' and Cortez's area of the ship. James activated a console on his area, making the cargo bay doors close. She was right, it was pretty quiet without the hum of the Normandy's drive core.

"When Dr. Chakwas brought be me here, I always thought it was a little noisy." Regine said as she looked around the cargo bay. "Without the people or the engines, it makes me feel a little… alone."

James blinked at her, "I'm here."

She chuckled, "Yes, you are, Mr. Vega."

James huffed in a breath, before noticing that his area of the bay was a little… messy. He hastily folded up his blanket, while he listened to Regine's heels clicking through the area… making echoes on the empty ship. He picked up the rifle mods and weapons scattered on his console, hiding it from view, before making his way back to her. He stopped when she saw what she was doing.

She was running a hand on the Kodiak, her legs swaying a little, as she walked. He could hear her humming a little as she walked around, her feet making little graceful movements. He smiled, "It looks to me like you're dancing, Regine."

"The echoes of my feet remind of… a stage I once danced in, when I was younger." Regine said, "It was made of wood, and I had heels on. There weren't any people around and it was so quiet. My heels echoed when I walked." She chuckled under her breath, "I decided to dance there without an audience, and I loved hearing the sound my shoes made as I danced."

"What kind of dances were you into, _reina?"_ He asked as he leaned over the Kodiak.

She shrugged, "Ballet… Latin… ballroom… I even took bellydance and pole dance classes." She laughed when she remembered, "But Christine loved my Latin dancing most of all."

James smirked before he fiddled with his console, and soon a bit of soft cymbals started on the cargo bay's speakers. Regine blinked at the sound, before turning back to James, who was removing his outer jacket, showing off his white t-shirt underneath.

"Oh, really?" James said, as he threw his coat away, "You know, I actually know a few moves." He held out his hand to her, "Want to dance, _reina?_"

Regine looked down at his hand, and her eyes sparkled in mischief. He swallowed when Regine started walking towards him, her hips swinging seductively, before taking his hands.

_Oh, I see._ James said, and he smirked, pulling her to his arms as the speakers started thudding with drums, and he led her with his body. Their legs started moving in synergy, their steps in time with the music, and James couldn't help but feel breathless at her. She was smiling, her eyes bright with mirth as they danced, her feet and legs twining in his as they moved. Her skin felt warm under his hand as he held her body close to him, her breath coming out in pants as they danced together. Her hips swayed in time with the drums, making her skirt fly a little, and he marveled at the strength and smoothness of her legs. He spun her around, his hand catching her hip, and she smirked up at him. She writhed her hips down to the floor, before suddenly standing, pulling at the neck of his shirt with her other hand on his cheek. She winked.

"Ooohh… now you're just fightin' dirty." James grinned in front of her, and he pushed at her left shoulder to make her turn, before grasping her outstretched arm and pulling her to him, lifting her up in his arms as he spun a little.

But she knew the move. She put her arm around his neck, and pulled her face to his, as he slowed his spin, setting her softly on her feet. He roughly spun her around, and he saw her grin, so he grabbed her hips and pulled her roughly to him. She blinked up at him, his hands holding her hips and lower back. The beat of the drums faded into a sort of ending, and she leaned back, her body arching gracefully as James held her. As her back bended into the most flexible move he had ever seen, he ran his other hand from her hip, to her sternum, up to the valley between her breast and up to her collarbone. She straightened up again, slowly, and his hand grabbed her hair at the base of her neck. She looked up at him, her eyes bright, before smiling.

"You have quite some moves, Mr. Vega." She said as they both straightened. James still had his hand on the small of her back, and the other at her hair, while her hands have wrapped around his neck.

"Like I said before…" he said, panting a little, "I gotta have some secrets. Though I had to admit, I'm going to need a little practice."

She laughed, "We'll work on that."

James chuckled as he pulled her into his arms, his face burying into her shoulder, wet with perspiration. The music changed into something softer, with lilting guitars. Regine breathed against his chest, and James took her hand, putting his other hand at the small of her back, and began swaying slowly to the music.

"I know this song…" Regine said as they slow danced.

"Really? Didn't know that you liked Latin songs, doctor." James said as they moved.

"I do, actually." She said, "But I never really understood it. I heard this one a long time ago from Christine." She pushed a little to look at James, "What does it talk about, James? It sounds like a couple talking to each other."

James smiled, "I'll get a Spanish translator for you. But in the meantime, it's about two lovers. The man… is pushing the woman away, saying that she shouldn't love him."

Regine blinked, "And what does the woman say?"

He brought her closer so that her arms encircled her waist, and her hand dropped down to his chest, "She keeps saying that she's staying. That he shouldn't doubt her and that she'll stay with him forever, saying that she just wants to love him."

"That…sounds familiar." She looked up at him, "And the title? What does it mean?"

James tightened his grip on her, " 'No Me Ames'… it means 'don't love me'."

Regine's eyes widened, and she looked down at his chest, "Then… _no me ames,_ James."

But he buried his head in her hair and breathed in, smelling the scent of gardenias again, "_Eso es imposible._" James muttered as he held her tight, "I already do, _mi reina."_

Regine pulled back and looked at him, her green eyes confused, "James…"

"_Te quiero tanto, mi reina._" James said, "You cannot tell me to not love you when I already do."

**No Me Ames – Don't Love Me, which is a real song made by Jennifer Lopez and Marc Anthony**

**Eso es imposible – That is impossible.**

**Te quiero tanto, mi reina. – I love you so much, my queen.**

**If you need to know… I was actually listening to Sergio Mendez's Magalenha when I was imagining Regine and James dance. XD**


	18. Chapter 17

James looked up at her, her eyes watering with tears, and he lowered his head and kissed her. Regine drew in a shocked breath, her hands grasping at his shirt, but soon she relaxed in his arms. James opened his mouth a little, taking a small taste of her lips, and her mouth parted a little. James groaned when her tongue licked him as well.

He felt his knees weaken as he slowly pushed her towards the Kodiak, her body pressed between the shuttle and his body. James ran his hands down the smooth expanse of her back, and her hands clawed at his shoulders as their kissed deepened.

Her taste was maddening, and her soft inhales caressed his face as he pressed his body closer to her. He grabbed both of her thighs and settled between her legs, lifting her up so that she clung to him using her arms and legs. The new position pressed his hips to the juncture of her thighs, and she gasped when she felt his hardness, "James…!"

"_Te amo… te amo…"_ James was muttering as he started kissing her chin, before running his tongue down her neck and shoulder, "_Eres hermosa… usted es caliente…"_

"James…" Regine said and he looked up at her, his eyes blazing with lust. She touched his face sadly, "I… I don't want you to regret anything…"

"I'll regret not having you, Regine." James said, and her heart tightened at his words, "I'll regret not touching you, not kissing you… not loving you. So please… let me. Let me love you, Regine."

Regine's eyes watered with tears and they spilled down her cheek as she pulled her to him and kissed him again, her mouth hungrily tasting him, her arms tightening on his neck. James kissed her back with wanting as he lifted her, keeping an eye behind her as he walked towards his make-shift bed. He let her stand for a moment, breaking off their contact as he removed his shirt, but he was on her again, holding her to his body. He reached behind her and felt for the clasp that held the dress at her throat, and the fabric on her chest fell down to her waist, bearing her upper body to him. James looked down in awe at the smoothness of her breasts, and he put it in his hand, running his thumb on her nipple, making it pebble under his touch and making her moan.

Regine clutched at the muscles on James' back as he bent over her, taking her breast to his mouth, licking at the peak with his tongue. She gasped in pleasure as he reached back and undid another clasp, making the green dress fall into a pool at her feet, as she stood before him in just her green panties, and he felt himself harden some more at the knowledge that she did not wear a bra during their whole date.

He laid her down carefully at his bed, before he joined her again, kissing her. One of his hands pulled a little at her hair, while the other grasped her breast again, before he slowly ran a hand down her stomach, to her hip, and her inner thigh.

Regine felt the warmth of his hand on her thigh, and she sighed in his mouth. He broke off a little, before nuzzling her neck, his lips travelling down her collarbone and down to her breast again. He licked at her peak just as his hand went lower to the juncture of her thighs, and he pressed his fingers against her warmth, making her moan loudly.

She cried out in pleasure as he rubbed her, licking her breasts as he did so. Her nails dug into his shoulders as he rubbed her faster, her green panties getting soaked as she got wet. She gasped and moaned under his ministrations, and James felt like going crazy as he heard her. He wanted more than anything to rip up her undies and his pants and just bury himself into her, but he knew that she needed it slow.

Her breathing became more labored, her thighs closing a little, and he knew she was close. He rubbed her faster and harder, the fabric of her panties adding to the pleasure of the friction of his hands. Finally, she arched, gasping for breath and gripping him hard as she orgasmed, and James felt her wetness against the cloth. Her breathing slowed a little, but she was still gasping, her body shaking at the intensity. James ran a comforting hand on her thigh, before slowly slipping her panties off her legs.

He stood up a little as he looked her over, her face flushed with pleasure, her hands on her sides, gripping the bedsheets. She looked up at him, and she smiled a little, "You're still a little overdressed, Mr. Vega."

James looked down on himself, seeing the tent his cock was making under his pants, and he grinned at her as he started removing his shoes and unbuckling his belt. "So that I'll make sure to last longer, _mi reina."_

Regine grinned, but as James removed his belt, she bit her lower lip. She sat up from the bed, and pulled at his hips, before looking up at him. "Let me."

"Regine…" He said, but she silenced him placing an open-mouthed kiss on his stomach, and he groaned. Her hands pulled the zipper of his pants before pulling it down along with his underwear to his thighs as she laid teasing kisses on his hips. She looked up at him, watching his face, before she grasped his hardness with her hand and laid a kiss on it's head.

"_Mi reina… mi Regine…"_ He muttered as she took him into her mouth, her tongue circling his throbbing manhood that he had to breathe in deeply to stop himself from releasing early. His hands grasped at her hair as she took him in deeper into her mouth, her tongue swirling along his length. He watched her as her head bobbed up and down his manhood, and he groaned, his legs tightening. "_Regina… me vuelves loco…"_

He pulled her off him gently, and she looked a little disappointed at him. He smiled, a little embarrassed, "Sorry… you were doing it so well that I… I didn't want to finish in your mouth…"

Regine smiled as he laid her down on the bed again, and she kissed his jaw, before putting her lips near his ear, "And where exactly do you want to finish, James?"

James growled a little as he kissed her mouth again, _"Dios mio… _In you. I want to finish inside you."

Regine smiled at him, but soon her eyes rolled back and she arched in pleasure as his cock entered her. He was long and thick, even for human standards, and she felt like it has been too long she felt something like it. He groaned again as he pulled out a little before shoving into her again. She groaned in pleasure underneath him, and he leaned back a little to watch her as he started to gently love her.

She was arched, her body bent backward as he lifted her pelvis off the bed to bury himself deeper into her. He watched as her ample breasts bounced along with his thrust, and her face was red with pleasure, her mouth open as she gasped and moaned under him. He used his other hand to push her other leg to her chest, and he saw that she was still wearing her shoes. The sight of her beautiful legs still in those thin heels made him growl a bit more as the sight of it turned him on, and he thrust deeper into her.

"Ah James…!" Regine moaned under him, her hands clawing at his chest, and he bent over to kiss her again, capturing her wanton moans in his mouth. "Keep… going…"

"_Mi reina…"_ He groaned as he kept thrusting, their thighs making slapping noises as James kept pushing and pulling out of her. "_Estoy desesperadamente enamorado de ti…"_

Regine laughed a little breathlessly, and she pulled him down to kiss him. He put his hands on either side of her hips again, as his thrusts got a little faster and rougher. "I think… I might need… a translator everytime you… speak in Spanish…"

James groaned again as he thrust at her deeper, and her head threw back again, "Then let me say it in plain English…" He bent his head and pulled her face to his so that their foreheads touched as he kept moving. "I… am hopelessly in love with you."

Tears welled up in Regine's eyes again, "James…"

He buried his head into her shoulder, and he moaned, feeling the heat pooling at below his navel. Underneath him, he could feel Regine clawing at his back again, her cries of pleasure muffled by his chest, her thighs seemingly closing. He lifted himself a little more and started thrusting a little rougher, causing her to practically yell in pleasure.

"_Mi reina.." _He muttered, " Regine… let go, baby. I'm here… and I love you. Come for me…"

James brought her gaze back to him, and he held her gaze as he continued to thrust, and soon, Regine's face cringed in pleasure as she orgasmed, her depths tightening around him as she clung to him for dear life, her body shaking again. The feeling of her muscles closing around him pushed him into the brink as well, and he groaned loudly as he thrust rapidly, before burying his head into her shoulder as he growled in release into her.

**Te amo – I love you**

**Eres Hermosa – You're beautiful**

**usted es caliente – you're hot **

**me vuelves loco – you drive me crazy**

**Estoy desesperadamente enamorado de ti – I'm hopelessly/desperately in love with you**


	19. Chapter 18

He lowered himself on her again, placing small gentle kisses as their breathing slowed. Her eyes were closed, but her soft mouth was open, her breath coming out in pants. He kissed her mouth gently, and she kissed back, a little tired. He moved a little so he could shift to her side, but she grasped his back, "No! Don't move… please…"

James looked up at her, before settling on his elbows, "I don't want to squish you."

"I can take it." She said, and she smiled as she ran her finger down his face, "I kind of like this… the warmth… the weight…"

He sighed as he kissed her again, "Then at least let me move a little lower so that you can still breathe." He slid a little lower, disengaging his member from her, and he laid his head on her chest, his ear pressed against a breast, and he heard the rapid breathing of her heart.

He moaned a little, before kissing a breast, "You have the best boob pillows ever, Regine."

She laughed, "I don't know if I should be flattered or offended."

"Flattered, definitely." He said as he caressed her stomach, "And I'm ecstatic to realize that they are now officially mine to sleep on."

Regine laughed again, but soon enough, she grew silent and from his position on her chest, James looked up at her to see that while she had one hand caressing his hair, the other was on her lip, and she chewed on it as she thought of something. He moved back up at her and pulled at her chin gently, "Something wrong?"

She smiled and turned to face him, "No… everything is perfect." Her eyes saddened, "Too perfect, actually… I… don't know if I deserve this… deserve you…"

James sighed as he shifted to lay down beside her, putting his hand on her face. "I honestly don't know, Regine. Hell, I didn't think I deserved you after what happened here in Fehl Prime. But when you smile, when you laugh… I stop thinking about it. All that I know is that I want to make you happy…"

Regine sighed, and she turned to her side to face him, her fingers running down his jaw before tracing the tattoos on his neck and arm. "Ever since… ever since Ryuu and Christine and April died… I stopped. I stopped being happy." She said, and James saw a flicker of sadness in her eyes, "I thought that I never would be again, nor I deserve to be happy... ever." She grinned, "Do you remember when you were talking to Cortez… when he said you danced like an asari after a few drinks?"

James laughed and Regine smiled up at him, "Yeah, I do. Damn that Esteban."

"That… that was the first time I laughed… in three years." Regine said, "And it felt… good. Like… something shattered and I felt free." She giggled, "I think I have to thank you for that… imagining a jarhead like you dancing like an asari is an amusing thought."

"Well, then… I'm happy that you laughed then, _mi reina_." He smirked, "Although, our dance today was an improvement, don't you think?"

Regine laughed, "That's because you were dancing with me. I'll have to order more _tequilas_ so I can get you drunk and get you dancing like an asari again. Maybe I can have Mr. Vakarian video tape it for me."

"Argh… now you're just being mean." James lamented, and Regine laughed as he pulled her towards him. She rested her head on his shoulder as he laid back, their fingers entwined on his chest. James started humming the same song they made love to just a few moments ago, and Regine sighed, sated and exhausted, as James' warmth and voice lulled her to sleep.

"I love you… Regine." James whispered, but Regine sighed again as her consciousness faded into sleep.

"_No me ames… _James."


	20. Chapter 19

James woke up slowly, his muscles a little painful as he stretched from his cot, before feeling his side. He blinked awake when he realized that Regine wasn't beside him, and he sat up. There was a little note placed beside his cot, and he opened it.

_James,_

_You were still sleeping, but I had a call about a patient in the colony. I'm sorry I left without telling you, but you looked so adorable when you sleep._

_Kaidan said there are still some things to do with the colony. Get ready and meet up with him by the cannon. If you need me, I'll be at the clinic._

_ Regine_

_P.S. Cortez said that we'll go out for drinks tonight. You can stay over at my place if you get too hammered. I don't have a balcony like Shepard, but I think my living room is spacious enough for some dancing._

James laughed at her letter before standing up in bed and heading for the showers to clean up, though his muscles were still a little stiff. Dancing with Regine made him pull some muscles he didn't know would hurt.

As he left the Normandy in his fatigue pants and Alliance shirt, he was surprised to see several more Alliance shuttles coming down, with new colonists coming out. He found Kaidan and headed towards him as the Major directed several Alliance soldiers.

"Good morning, Major." James said, saluting at him, before putting his hand down.

"Morning, Lieutenant." Kaidan said smirking at him, "Had a good night?"

"The best." James said reverently and Kaidan laughed, "Thanks for all your help last night."

But Kaidan waved a hand, "Don't worry about it. We all deserve a break now and then." He looked over the shuttles, "Anyway, back to business. We got some new colonists arriving. I hope you can help with off-loading supplies."

"Yes, sir." James replied as he headed for the shuttles. He passed by the medical tent, where Chakwas and Regine were handing out first aid kits and medical supplies for the colonists as they arrived. Regine looked up to see him, and he grinned as he blew her a kiss. She blinked and laughed before acting like she caught his kiss and placed it on her cheek. James grinned at her again before seizing a box for a volus entrepreneur.

The day went by fast for James, although by the end of it, he felt sticky from sweat and dust. Several new colonists decided to stay in Fehl Prime, which included several businessmen who wanted to restore the colony's previous glory as a pharmaceutical plant. A number of asari scientists also decided to stay in the colony, which were being debriefed by Liara.

By the time James has unloaded the last of the crates, it was already nightfall. He wiped the sweat off his forehead, waving goodbye to the other soldiers who helped him before rounding the corner where the medic tent was. He saw that it was blissfully empty, except for Regine, who seemed to be packing up the last of the supplies back to their boxes… all the while dancing by herself.

James watched as the doctor seemed to be doing a samba as she danced, her hips swaying at a familiar song that blasted from her OmniTool. He smiled as her lab coat flared as she moved, her feet doing familiar steps, her hair unbound and flying around her as she spun. He watched her as she gracefully danced, before he stealthily grabbed her and spun her around before bending her back.

Regine let out a squeak of surprise as James took her hand and grasped her hips, leading her into a dance, and she smiled when he made her turn again, before bringing her to his chest and making her bend backward, and he laid a kiss on her neck.

"You know, _mi reina,_ I'm REALLY beginning to love dancing with you." James said as they straightened, although he wound his arms around her waist and kissed her gently.

"Well, I haven't danced in a while, Mr. Vega." She said, putting her arms around the Marine's neck, "After last night, I guess it brought the memories back."

James chuckled as he nuzzled her neck, making her sigh, "A talented doctor, a hell of a shot, a tech and biotics expert, a shuttle pilot, a wushu practitioner, a professional dancer and an insatiable lover? Is there anything you can't do, Dr. Regine Akira?"

Regine laughed, "I can't speak or understand Spanish much, Mr. Vega."

"We'll remedy that soon enough." He said, before separating from her, "You all done here? Milque said something about drinks after work, you know."

"Actually, I am." Regine said as she closed up the last crate, "I could use a drink, too. Come on."

They walked hand in hand through the colony to Milque's bar, all the while talking about the newly arrived colonists. They laughed and smiled as they talked, and James marveled once again at the emotions that showed in her features.

Kaidan was outside the bar, talking to some soldiers, and he grinned when he saw the two. "Hey! You guys made it! Come on in, we got some major celebrations going on. All drinks on the house!"

James blinked, "Wait what?"

Kaidan laughed, "You'd better get inside, Milque will tell you all the details."

James and Regine went in through the bar, and immediately cheers rocked the house as the Normandy crew raised their glasses at them. Garrus pat James in the back as Tali hugged Regine, who blinked in shock, before realizing that the two had a lot to drink. Behind the counter was Traynor, who was serving up drinks, and Milque, whose face was red from all the shots he'd been drinking.

"Lieutenant!" Milque shouted in glee before jumping over the counter and seizing James, "Free drinks on the house, man! We're celebrating!"

"Hey, chill man!" James said as he hugged Milque and slapping his face a little, "You've had way too much to drink."

Milque shook his head and smiled, his head rocking back in drunkenness and… happiness. "With good reason, Lieutenant." He grinned happily at James, and he blinked when he saw tears form in the sniper's eyes. "Amelia… Amelia's pregnant. I'M GOING TO BE A FATHER!"

James and Regine's eyes widened, "No way!" They both exclaimed, but Milque nodded serenely, his face crumpling with tears of joy as they hugged him.

"Oh my God, man! That's awesome!" James said as he hugged his friend, "A kid! Oh man, I'm so happy for you! Congratulations!"

Milque wiped the tears from his eyes and took James by the shoulders, looking seriously at him, "All this… this bar… Amelia… my baby… it wouldn't have happened if it weren't for you, Vega. It would be an honor… Lieutenant… If I could name my child after you."

James blinked at him, his mouth open in surprise. He looked down at Regine, who smiled at him and nodded, before turning back to his friend. He grasped the man into a tight hug, and he realized that there were tears forming in his eyes as well. He blinked them back as he spoke, "It would be _my_ honor, man."

Milque laughed as he separated and then turned to Regine, "Dr. Akira… will you…"

Regine hugged the barman, "I will be here every step of the way, Milque." She smiled as they separated, "I'll ask Dr. Chakwas for her medical records, and then bring her tomorrow to me so we could start with her monthly check-ups, okay?"

The man nodded, "Thank you, doctor." He clapped his hands and headed back to the bar again, "Free drinks on the house! For my child!"

The Normandy crew let out cheers for Milque who stumbled back behind the bar with Traynor to mix drinks, handing them to the couple. James and Regine laughed with everyone as they toasted the lucky man, as Joker started playing music.

Joker and Kaidan were talking with Donnelly and Adams, drinking beer as they talked about the colony's status and trading jokes. EDI hovered protectively over Joker, making sure that the fragile pilot was not too inebriated to lose his balance. James, Cortez and Garrus sat at the bar, downing tequilas in a drinking contest as they laughed, and Traynor, after taking waaaay too many tastes of the cocktails she mixed, had started dancing behind the counter. Javik and Liara were atop the staircase, watching the crew as they talked. Tali and Gabby were standing in the middle of the floor with Regine, who had started dancing with the music, teaching the quarian and the engineer to dance the samba.

Pretty soon everyone started watching the three women as they started dancing, their hips moving, and the crew hooted and cheered. Joker changed the music into something a bit more Latin in flavor, and Regine laughed as Traynor jumped from the counter to join them.

Even Liara came down from the stairs to follow the movements, and Regine faced her "students" teaching them more moves that earned hoots of appreciation from the crew. James watched as Regine smiled and moved with the girls, before spotting him at his stool with Garrus and Cortez.

James watched as she grinned mischievously, before she sashayed her way to him, her finger curling in a 'come here' motion.

"Oh no…" James groaned before Cortez and Garrus started pushing him from his stool, "Hey, you guys are supposed to back me up here!"

"Dance, Vega!" Cortez shouted as he laughed, "Make sure they aren't asari moves!"

"I'll show you, Esteban!" James said as Regine came near and he smirked as he took her hand, spun her around, and caught her in his chest. She grinned up at him, and he winked as they took to the floor.

Cortez's eyes widened as Regine and James danced through the floor… not really like professional dancers, but damn close. James' hips were not nearly that flexible, but his strength was an attribute to Regine's grace as he lifted and twirled her around, earning yells from Kaidan and Joker. He was actually surprised that Regine was actually very flexible, or that James' massive bulk was able to keep up with her series of steps.

"Now that just shocks me." Garrus said as he watched the couple spin like a dervish before stopping suddenly, in front of Joker, and Regine bended backward to look at the pilot. She winked at him, causing him to blush. "And here I thought that humans can't dance with the way your legs bend."

Cortez chuckled as James pulled Regine back into his arms, dancing their way to Tali. He spun the doctor around, letting go of her hand as he took Tali for a dance, the quarian letting out a squeak of surprise as Regine sauntered over to Kaidan as the major laughed, before taking her outstretched hand and dancing with her. "I actually didn't know James could dance like that, but I guess after finding out that Dr. Akira was quite the dancer, it came out."

"Still, it's good to see the doctor let loose like that." Garrus said as he took a drink, "She's a great person when she's not being the cold, stoic doctor she used to be. Jimmy is a good match for her."

"Yeah, she is." Cortez said as he took a gulp of tequila, and James and Regine brought Tali and Kaidan to dance together, before they came to each others arms again, and dancing together. "I'm going to dance a little with Liara. God knows that the Prothean doesn't dance."

Garrus laughed as the shuttle made his way to the dancing asari, taking the Prothean expert by surprise. He looked up to see Javik seething a little as Cortez and Liara danced… rather well together. He chuckled, before seeing Regine and James kiss together on the dance floor. The doctor leaned over to whisper something in the marine's ear, and James looked around a little before they headed out to the door, leaving the festivities.

The turian smiled as he looked over to Tali, who was now dancing alone. He took a gulp of his turian brandy before making his way to the quarian, as James and Regine left the pub to head back to Regine's house, intent on dancing their own dance on her bed.

**The song I was listening to while they're dancing is Corazon Espinal by Carlos Santana. XD**


	21. Chapter 20

The following days were full of happiness for James.

Although they were both busy with rebuilding the colony, James and Regine became inseperable. In the morning, they'd come out of Regine's house, walking to their respective areas while talking. They'd separate while James helped around in building homes for the colonists, and Regine was busy in her clinic. At lunch, James would head back to the clinic, where he'd bring her their lunch, and they would talk again as they ate, before going back to their places. When their day was over, and their work was done, they would head over to Milque's bar with the crew for a night cap, where James would engage Milque, Joker and Kaidan in a battle of Poker, and Regine would be talking with Tali and Liara, before heading back home together.

Regine flourished in James' love, and the crew liked her more for it. She smiled and laughed more often, and she showed genuine concern to her patients. She even started teaching dance lessons to Tali and Liara, and the two became her best friends on the colony. She felt happier than she felt before, and she knew that it was because of James.

Unfortunately, their month on the colony was about to end, and Kaidan reminded James of his N7 training. He looked at Regine as they talked, and the doctor merely nodded, and smiled, but he could see the sadness in her eyes. It was that sadness that made him take her that night, as slowly and as gently as he possibly could, making sure to show his love for her through his words and caresses.

On their last day on the colony, James was surprised to see that aside from the Normandy, a shuttle from Palaven, Thessia and Rannoch had arrived. He remembered that they were there to take Garrus, Liara, Javik and Tali back to their home worlds.

The Normandy crew stood in a line as Garrus, Tali, Javik and Liara left the ship, carrying crates with their belongings. They looked up wistfully at the ship, before making their way to the crew.

"I'm going to miss the old girl." Garrus said as they put their things down to shake Kaidan's hand. "I was actually considering to take the Main Battery with me to Palaven, just to decorate my room."

Kaidan laughed, "Hey, we still need her you know." He grasped the turian's hand, "It was an honor serving with you, General Vakarian."

"Likewise, Major Alenko." Garrus said, he turned to the rest of the crew, his mandibles flaring as he opened his arms, "So, who wants to say goodbye to the Space Batman?"

James and Cortez laughed as they embraced the turian manfully, before stepping back to let the others shake his hand. Tali and Liara hugged him the longest. Even Joker came forward and hugged the turian gently to not break his bones. He separated and grinned up the turian, "Hey Garrus, what did the rocket say to your face?"

" 'I love you, Garrus Vakarian.'" He said, chuckling, "Don't break a bone, Joker."

"Don't kiss any rockets, big man." Joker said, and Garrus nodded before stepping back.

"I guess this is my time to go, too." Tali said, but Regine heard a sniff under her helmet. "Damn it, this is hard."

Regine came forward and hugged the quarian tight, and she held on to the doctor. "You will do a lot of great things, Tali."

"Oh I hope so!" Tali said, "I'm going to miss you, Regine."

James blinked as the quarian used her first name, but took it all into stride, "I'm going to miss you too, Tali. Keep in touch, okay?"

The quarian nodded and looked up at James, "Take care of her, James."

James hugged Tali lightly, "You bet, Sparks."

The quarian nodded again as she opened up her arms to the engineering crew, and Liara and Javik came forward to shake Kaidan's hand. "Goodbye, Kaidan." Liara said, "We'll still contacting you, but it will not be the same as being on the same ship."

"Goodbye, Major." Javik said, bowing low to him, and Kaidan nodded back, "Maybe we should get together once in a while, you know. I'll send you guys a message so we could plan it sometime."

Liara smiled, "That would be a great idea, Kaidan." She looked at everyone, "I'm going to miss everyone."

James laughed and cupped his hands around his mouth, "Group hug!"

Regine laughed as he captured her in his arms before hugging Tali, and pretty soon the whole crew, even Garrus and Javik came forward and hugged. Adams and Ken started chanting, "NOR-MAN-DY!", with James and Cortez taking up the cry. And finally, with last hugs, friendly kisses and tears, Garrus, Tali, Liara and Javik boarded their respective shuttles. The Normandy crew raised their hands in salute as they shuttles left the atmosphere.

Finally, Kaidan lowered his hand and turned to Regine, "I guess it's our turn to go. Are you sure you won't be coming along with us, Dr. Akira?"

James looked down sadly at her before putting an arm around her shoulder. She looked up at him, smiling sadly, before turning to Kaidan. "I'm afraid not, Major. This colony needs a medical officer, and the pharmaceutical plant needs someone to make sure it doesn't make anything illegal." She held out her hand and shook Kaidan's hand. "It was an honor to serve in the Normandy, Major Alenko."

He smiled down at her, "And it was an honor having you on the ship, Doctor." He bent over a little to whisper in her ear, "Don't worry, I'll take care of James."

She grinned as he stepped back, "You do that, Major."

Gabby came forward and hugged her then, and Joker, Adams and Ken shook her hand. She smiled up at EDI and hugged her, "Take care of Joker, EDI."

The AI nodded in her shoulder, "Of course, Doctor."

Dr. Chakwas came forward and hugged her tight, "My dear girl." The elderly doctor said, "I wish you would come with us. But I know that this is what must be done."

"I'll miss you, Dr. Chakwas." Regine said, and the elderly doctor smiled sadly at her as she tucked a stray lock of hair on her protégé's ear, "I'll miss you too, my dear. I am so glad to see you smile again… you have always been like a daughter to me."

Regine's eyes welled with tears, "Thank you. I'll be here always, so please visit as often as you can."

"I'll try, my dear." Dr. Chakwas said, kissing Regine on the forehead and looking up at James, "I'll give you two some time."

The crew left to board the Normandy, and James turned her towards him. Regine's eyes started spilling tears, and he wiped them away with his thumb.

"I'm going to come back, Regine." He said as he took her hands, "I'm going to come back here. This will be my home… our home. I'll make damn sure of it."

Regine nodded, and she embraced him, her arms going around his neck. He buried his head on her shoulder, and breathed in her scent, resolving to always put gardenias near his bed to remind him of her.

"_Mentí…_" Regine said, and James' eyes widened when she spoke in _Spanish,_ "_Te amo, _James._ Me estaba mintiendo cuando dije 'no me ames'_."

James looked up at her face, her lips smiling at him even though she was crying, "I did some extranet research and installed the Spanish translator." She said, tapping her earpiece, "But I'm afraid my pronunciation might not be perfect."

He growled as he bent over, kissing her roughly, her arms tight around her neck. He separated a bit as she gasped in his lips. "_Te amo, mi reina."_ He whispered as he held her, "_Cuando vuelva, me casaré contigo."_

At this, Regine smiled as she kissed his mouth, his cheek and his jaw, "_Sí, me gustaría eso_." And James kissed her hard again at the way she spoke, and he wished he had the time to whisper more Spanish in her ear as he made love to her.

"Sorry, James… but it's time to go." Kaidan said quietly behind them.

James sighed as he straightened, "Yeah, okay."

Regine sniffed a little, before smiling up at James. She placed a hand on his cheek, giving him one last kiss, before pushing him towards Kaidan. He walked backward, watching her as she stood on that grassy knoll by the Memorial Wall, her hair and coat drifting in the wind… the most perfect woman he had ever met, before turning around and heading to the Normandy's Cargo Bay.

Kaidan stood beside him as the Normandy slowly lifted of the ground, and they clung on to the sides of the doors as James continued to watch Regine down on the ground. She mouthed, 'I love you' and James couldn't help but do the same. She nodded, understanding his lips, before smiling sadly and waving goodbye at him as they took off, the Cargo Bay doors closing.

He sighed deeply, leaning his forehead on the doors, as Kaidan patted his shoulder. "You can do this, James." He said, "You'll be done in a year, and then you'll come back."

"Yeah, I know." He said, "It's just… not easy to do."

"Yeah, I can understand that. Here." Kaidan said, and he held out a cologne bottle to James. James' brows furrowed as he took the bottle, taking a tentative whiff. It smelled exactly like Regine.

"I asked Liara to find out what her perfume was. She told me it was this… Estee Lauder." He said, "It's yours, just… don't spray it everywhere." He chuckled as he headed to the elevators.

James watched the Major go, and he headed to his cot in the Cargo Bay. He could hear Cortez, welding at the Kodiak, and he sat down in his bed, before leaning back and lying down. He turned his head to his pillow, taking a whiff to smell a hint of Regine's scent. He lifted the pillow and sprayed it with the perfume Kaidan just gave him, and he buried his head into the pillow, taking a deep breath. Finally, with a sigh, he put it back under his head and stood up to fix his the weapons in his charge.

It's going to be a long year.

**Menti –I lied**

**Te amo – I love you**

**Me estaba mintiendo cuando dije 'no me ames' – I lied when I said don't love me**

**Cuando vuelva, me casaré contigo – When I return, I'll marry you**

**Sí, me gustaría eso – yes, I'd like that**


	22. Chapter 21

*one year later*

"ETA: five minutes, Captain Alenko. Major Cortez and the crew are waiting."

Kaidan nodded, uncrossing his arm, "Good job, Wing Commander Moroeu." He said as Joker smiled at him, "Let's give our soldiers some break, shall we? Arrange the teams to head for the Cargo Bay. I think after all that mess with the Blue Suns, we could use a little R & R."

"Milque already send me a message, Captain." Joker said, "He said that his bar is fully stocked and ready for us."

Captain Kaidan Alenko laughed, "Good, our people need a little break. Any news from the others?"

"Yes, sir." Joker said as he rifled through the messages, "They're on their way, too."

Kaidan nodded as he headed to the elevator, the Normandy SR-2's crew saluting him, before heading down the Cargo Bay, where he was met with a group of twenty men, who immediately saluted him.

"At ease, men." Kaidan said, and the soldiers lowered their hands.

"Welcome to Fehl Prime, gentlemen." Kaidan said as the soldiers looked at him, "This colony is one of the Alliance's largest pharmaceutical plants, and is therefor a priority in protection. Yes, gentlemen, your MediGels came from this colony, as well as whatever medicines you or your family have been using." He looked at the men again as he walked around. "However, Alliance brass have told me that you are to stay here for your shore leave while we decide who will be stationed here as the colony's defense team. And don't think that just because it's a colony, it'll be easy to defend."

"This colony has kinetic barriers, an anti-ship cannon, and recently anti-air-and-ground turret towers around the colony, and it's townspeople… well, they defend this place like a fortress." He grinned at the shocked expressions of the soldiers. "Remember that this place has more medical supplies anywhere due to its purpose. Mercenary groups tend to flock here to try and get them."

"But for now, you'll be staying here for your shore leave while your Commander and I discuss who will be stationed here. And if you're wondering, the local bar here called Delta is a good place to start… just don't piss off the owner. He's a hell of a shot and a sniper. If you do get shot, the local doctor will heal you, just don't piss her off either."

Kaidan chuckled as the soldiers looked at one another, and EDI's voice sounded on the InterCom. "We've landed in Fehl Prime, Captain Alenko. Dr. Akira is currently waiting for you outside."

"Thank you, EDI." Kaidan said as the Cargo Bay doors opened, the platform lowering to the ground, and a woman with blond hair and a white lab coat came forward. She walked towards the soldier, before standing with Kaidan.

"Gentlemen, this is Dr. Regine Akira, the colony's de-facto leader and Medical Officer." Kaidan said as Regine smiled a little at the soldiers, "If you have any questions, don't be afraid to approach her."

"Good evening, gentlemen." Regine said putting her hands in her pockets, "Your rooms are already up. If you would please follow my assistant outside, she will lead you to your hotel. Please enjoy your time in Fehl Prime."

"Alright, everyone." Kaidan said, turning on his OmniTool and speaking to it, through the intercom, making his voice echo through the ship. "Shore leave granted, but stay in touch for further announcements. It'll probably take us a week to decide. In the meantime, get off the damn ship and have some fun." He blinked for a minute, "That includes you, Joker!"

Regine laughed as the Normandy crew departed from the ship through the cargo bay, waving goodbye at Kaiden as they stepped off. Joker and EDI shuffled past them, offering a hug to Regine, just as Major Cortez came up to her and hugged her, spinning her around, making the doctor shriek in surprise.

"Hey, Doctor!" Cortez said as he finally brought her down, "It's so damn good to see you!"

"Same here, Mr. Cortez." She said, looking over the shuttle pilot, "Oh my, you're looking a little pale today, like Kaidan." She looked at the two men before putting her hands on her hips, "Have you two been having any sleep lately?"

"We're Alliance, we don't sleep." Kaidan joked, but Regine merely scowled at him in her old, icy demeanor, and he threw up his hands, "Okay, okay fine. We haven't been sleeping much lately. You know what it's like on duty, Doctor."

Regine sighed shaking her head and crossing her arms, before smiling up at them, "Well, just means only one thing… no drinks for today. Straight to the hotel with you two!"

Kaidan and Cortez blinked, "Aw come on, doctor! What about the others?!" Cortez complained.

"Milque and my assistant can take care of the Normandy crew and your soldiers. As for the others, Tali and Garrus won't arrive until tomorrow morning, and Liara and Javik are still with the research team in the Prothean ruins. Traynor is already with Milque, she arrived yesterday." Regine said.

"Can we at least say hi to Traynor then? We promise we won't drink." Kaidan said, his pleading eyes to the doctor.

Regine laughed, "Oh alright. She did say that she missed you, Cortez. Fine, go say hi to her."

Kaidan and Cortez fist bumped as they headed down the cargo bay, and Regine shook her head as she shouted, "But if you come back drunk to me, I'm gonna shove my banana bag syringe up your asses!"

Kaidan and Cortez waved back at her as they walked away, and Regine grinned. The Normandy grew silent as she sighed, before starting her way back down the ramp.

Suddenly her arm got jerked back, and on instinct, she turned, her body clashing against someone in armor, his arm on her lower back while the other held hers. She huffed a breath before looking up, her green eyes colliding with a man's smirk and lustful eyes, as heavily muscled arms wrapped around her waist.

"James…!"

Commander James Vega grinned as he lowered his head, tightening his arms around the doctor as he kissed her, his tongue exploring hers as she replied with the same intensity. She wrapped her arms around his neck as he lifted her into his arms, walking towards the Normandy's elevator.

Regine separated from his lips as she gasped, "James! Where are you going?!"

"To my cabin, of course." James said smirking down at her, "I've held off for a year. You don't know how much I missed you, _mi reina_."

Regine laughed, "Looks like you're moving up the ladder, James. What exactly is your rank now?"

"Officially, my title is Commander James Vega, N7 Destroyer Soldier and XO of the SSV Normandy SR-2." James said with pride, before shrugging as the doors opened again, "But tonight, I'd rather be the _amante de la reina._"

She laughed again, before kissing his neck, "_¿Qué pasa con el matrimonio?_" She whispered huskily, and James growled as he lowered her in his cabin bed and removed his armor in a hurry, "Don't worry, we'll get there."

She smiled up at him as the last pieces of his armor fell to the floor, his body still covered in his black undersuit. Regine pulled him down on top of her and kissed his lower lip, before pulling back a little. She touched his face with her left hand, tracing a long scar that went down the side of it from his temple down to his jaw, while her right hand traced a scar just above his lip, his eyebrow and under his eye. "_Usted se lesionó_, _mi amor._"

James sucked in a breath. She called him "my love", and was now talking in Spanish. He couldn't help but get turned on by her voice even more. He groaned as he pushed his chin towards her palm. "I got beat up so many times, I lost count, Regine. But I couldn't stop… every time I got wounded or injured, I saw you. I see your face all worried like the time I got shot during our mission here in Fehl Prime. I knew I had to make it, for you. Because I promised you that I'd come back. Every time I felt exhausted or wanted to give up, I thought of you." He turned his head and placed a kiss on her wrist, "You… thinking of returning to you… that's what made me an N7 and a Commander. I could have died during my missions so many times, but I would remember you and fight to stay alive. You have no idea how many times I had to say '_chupa mi verga_' to the _dios de la muerte, mi reina."_

"Thank you… for coming back." Regine said as she raised herself a little to push her lab coat away, before grasping the zipper that ran down the front of James suit as she kissed him deeply, pushing the fabric away to reveal several scars and tattoos on his heavily muscled body, "_¡Bienvenido a casa, mi amor."_

James groaned again as he held her tight, burying his face into her shoulder, nuzzling her neck as the scent of gardenias enveloped him. He opened his mouth and tasted her skin, earning moans of pleasure from her as he unzipped her suit and ran his hands down her back, before taking it off her, the heat of her body on his bare chest driving him insane.

"_Estoy en casa… mi médico… mi bailarina… mi reina… mi amor… mi Regine…"_

**amante de la reina – lover of the queen**

"**¿Qué pasa con el matrimonio? – What about marriage?**

**Usted se lesionó, mi amor – You were hurt, my love.**

**chupa mi verga – suck my dick**

**¡Bienvenido a casa, mi amor – Welcome home, my love**

**Estoy en casa… mi médico… mi bailarina… mi reina… mi amor… - I'm home… my doctor… my dancer… my queen… my love**


End file.
